


The Balance of the Universe

by everystareverywhere



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-08
Updated: 2014-04-07
Packaged: 2018-01-18 14:08:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 38,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1431331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everystareverywhere/pseuds/everystareverywhere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jonathon Smith lived a very boring life until one day he saved a woman's life. Suddenly his boring life is beyond complicated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off of the movie While You Were Sleeping with Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman. This is all completely unbeta'd so please excuse any grammar and/or spelling mistakes.

_“It’s never something huge that changes everything,  
but instead the tiniest of details,   
irrevocably tweaking the balance of the universe   
while you’re busy focusing on the big picture.” _  
-Sarah Dessen,  _Lock and Key_  
  
Jonathon Smith saw her nearly every day. And every day she was as gorgeous as can be. Her blonde hair was always styled professionally, let it be up in a ponytail, bun, or just straight down. Her face was perfect, with the perfect little nose and the perfect cupid bow lips. And she was always dressed professionally, with a skirt that was tasteful, and a blouse that was probably too low, but Jonathon didn’t care. And she always wore a pair of high heels.   
  
He was sure that she was heading to work every time he saw her, which was the same time every day, that he could set his watch to it. At exactly 6:48 a.m., she would walk into the train station, give him a token so that she could get through the gate, and walk over to the bench that many complained had too many used pieces of gum on it, though she never seemed to notice. At 6:55, her train would pull in and she would look up from her iPhone, see it coming, and pick up her briefcase that she had on the ground.   
  
Though he knew that it had to be stalkerish, he certainly liked to watch her. She was his dream girl. However, there were two problems: he didn’t know her name and she didn’t even know he existed. She went about her business, never knowing that the tall lanky man sitting inside of the train cubicle was head-over-heels in love with her. And she probably would never know. Jonathon was many things, and cowardly was one of them.   
  
It was a new trait, actually, not something that he was known for when he was a child. There were two things that Jonathon remembered about his childhood and that was his father and their adventures. His father loved to grab his hand and say, “Let’s go on an adventure, Johnny-boy!” and off they would go to the forests that Jonathon swore were in the middle of nowhere, but were actually just three miles away from their house. And he and his father would run through the forest, trying to keep a safe distance away from the many monsters that lived out there. Jonathon always remembered running until he thought his legs would fall off and his father falling to the ground, laughing and groaning at the same time, claiming he was getting too old.   
  
His father had a great sense of humor, but more than that, he always gave Jonathon words of wisdom. Sometimes, they were really helpful like  _“Always have enough money for cab”_  or  _“Do not confuse a want with a need.”_ Sometimes they went over his head, like  _“Don’t let your better angels be shouted down by the demons in your head”_  and  _“The idle brain is the Devil’s playground.”_  However there were two that always stuck out in his mind:  _“Hold hands. That’s the secret. Just keep holding each other’s hand”_  and  _“Life doesn’t always turn out the way you expect it.”_  
  
That last one now hits a little too close to home.   
  
He always knew that life never turned out the way you expect it. Never would he expect his mother to die of cancer when he was only five-years-old. Or when he turned twenty-one, his father would have a heart attack and die, leaving him not only an orphan, but also very much on his own. Both sets of grandparents died long before he was born, and his parents were only siblings. No one was there for Jonathon, but he didn’t mind. After his father died, he picked up the pieces the best he could and finished school before getting odd jobs here and there. He worked in a soda shop, grocery store, music shop, and even a fast food establishment, but he was asked to leave that one after they found out what happened to so many of their burgers–long story short, there were either under the counters or in his stomach.   
  
And now he was working in a train cubicle, taking the tokens for people who were taking the train. It was boring as hell, and barely anything ever happened. His co-worker, a younger woman named Martha Jones, often had her nose in a textbook, studying for her next test. She was studying to become a doctor, and he had often thought about becoming a doctor, but the sight of blood made him a bit woozy, so he regrettably had to give up the profession. Yet, he didn’t know what exactly he wanted to do with his life, but working at a train cubicle was definitely not in his top fifty.   
  
Though to see the beautiful blonde everyday almost made up for the lousy job and even lousier paycheck.  
  
Another one of his father’s favorite quotes was  _“Wait for someone who can give you the world”_  and though the woman barely gave him a glance, let alone the world, he still pined for her. It was a bit pathetic. Even Martha, whose nose barely glanced up from her textbook, gave him pitiful glances.   
  
“Maybe you should talk to her,” she often would say.   
  
He always gave the same response with a snort. “Yeah, right. And trip over my words and appear an idiot. No thanks.”   
  
She sighed. “I would, if I were you.”   
  
He turned around to look at her. “The difference is that you’re beautiful and confident, Martha, while I am…not.” Martha was indeed a very beautiful woman. Her caramel skin color and dark black hair and eyes made her look stunning no matter what she wore. She was often asked for her phone number and men flirted with her continually. One time she was even serenaded with Shakespeare’s 18 Sonnet. She was flattered, more than anything, but rarely said yes. She much preferred her books and the man sitting in the closed-in cubicle with her. Though, much like the woman Jonathon fancied who never noticed him, Jonathon himself didn’t realize how Martha used to watch him with loving eyes. She had waited for him to acknowledge her, but he never did. So, after pinning after him for a couple of months, she gave up and started dating a wonderful young man who was crazy about her.   
  
One night, however, months pining over the mysterious woman, Jonathon was in his apartment, trying to bring in the Christmas tree that seemed to weigh more than he did. “This is so stupid!” he groaned to his dog, K-9 who was lying very comfortably on his couch, wagging his tail. “For forty-five pounds, you would think that they could deliver the damn thing! The Chinese restaurant only needs you to spend over ten pounds and then they deliver! Why can’t–” He paused for a moment, almost getting the tree through his narrow doorway and into his living room. With a deep sigh, he picked up where he left off both in his soliloquy and his actions. “–the damn tree company do the same thing?”   
He took a wrong step and fell over, the tree landing on top of him. He groaned on the floor, getting pines not only in his mouth, but also some very uncomfortable places. The older woman downstairs, Minnie Hooper, opened her door and yelled up, “Are you okay, Johnny?”   
  
Shoving the tree off of him and rolling to his side, Jonathon shouted back, “Yeah, I’m fine!”   
  
Then he heard the last thing he ever wanted to hear: her footsteps coming up the stairs. And if he closed the door on her, he would appear ungentlemanly, and that was the last thing he wanted. So, while he brushed pine needled off of himself, he saw Minnie herself appear in his doorway. For being a woman in her late seventies, Minnie had a more active social life than he did. He would often hear her and a gentleman laughing downstairs, and sometimes even music would blast through the floors. He hated to admit that his life looked dull compared to a woman who was fifty years older.   
  
She tusked when she saw the doorway. “Oh, Mr van Statten is not going to like what you did here,” she said, referring to their landlord, Henry van Statten, who could kiss Jonathon’s patooty. She gently touched the now scraped wood. “Oh dear, oh dear. You have to tell him.”   
  
“And he’s going to up my rent,” Jonathon said, pulling the tree in an upright position and putting it in the corner of the room. K-9 barked happily when he saw it.   
  
Minnie sighed. “He ups people’s rent for no reason whatsoever.” She looked around and noticed K-9 on the couch. “Oh, there’s the best dog in the world!” Without an invitation, she walked into his apartment and sat down next to the dog. Minnie was the kind of woman who did things like this, and no one corrected her because they liked her too much. As she pet his brown and white beagle, she commented, “I have never heard this dog bark. It is amazing how well trained he is!”   
  
“Thanks, Mrs. Hooper.”   
  
“Oh, none of this ‘Mrs Hooper’ stuff. If I told you once, I’ve told you a hundred times. It’s Minnie.”   
  
“Yes, Minnie.”   
  
She looked over at Jonathon as he sat down with a huff in his overstuffed chair. “You know what you need, Johnny?”   
  
Jonathon hated to be called ‘Johnny,’ but he let her get away with it because he knew a fight would be useless. However, one thing he did know was where this conversation was going. So putting his chin in his hand and trying not to look bored, he answered sarcastically, “No, Minnie. What?”   
  
“A girl. You need to get out, mister! You are always locked in his apartment with nobody except your dog with the odd name.”   
  
“It’s K-9, Minnie,” Jonathon said, hoping to distract her. “The letter ‘k’ and the number ‘9.’ It’s a play on words. Or rather, letters.”   
  
“Either way, it’s odd. And don’t you go changing the topic. When was the last time you had a date?” When he didn’t answer, Minnie gave a knowing look. “Just what I thought. You need to go out. Oh!” she said, her eyes popping wide, like she just had the best idea. That made him nervous. “I know someone who would be perfect for you! Her name is Harriet Jones, and she is a bit older, but that wouldn’t bother you, dear, right?” Before he could answer, she continued with, “No, I didn’t think so.”   
  
He quickly stood up. “You know, Minnie, I’ve had a long day and am really tired. Plus, I need to put on my Christmas ordainments. Maybe we can talk about this another time, hmm?”  _Like never_ , he thought. To go out with a friend of Minnie’s was really scraping the bottom of the barrel.   
  
Minnie got the hint, though. That was one good thing about her; she caught on quickly. “Well, if you say so dear. But if you change your mind, let me know.”   
  
“You’ll be the first one, I promise.”   
  
Minnie stood up and walked to the door. “Be careful, okay dear? I don’t want you hurting anything precious.”   
  
Jonathon got the sneaky suspicion that she was talking about something he never, ever, wanted her to think about.   
  
As soon as she was out the door, he slammed it shut and locked it by putting the chain in place. Minnie was the neighbor he gave his spare key to, and though she never took advantage of that fact and walked in with the key, he didn’t want to take the chance.   
  
Sighing he turned around and looked at his tree tucked in the corner. It was too depressing, the idea of decorating by himself. So, instead he went to the kitchen to make an even more depressing dinner for one.   
  
~*~   
  
The next day, he was walking to work when he heard someone yell out his name behind him. It was Mr Cooper, his employer. A nice man, who was a bit shorter than Jonathon and was losing his hair. He also thought he knew everything, but more often than not got his facts wrong.   
  
“Ah, Mr Smith, I was hoping I would see you.”   
  
“I was hoping I would be in the Barcelona right now,” Jonathon muttered, but Mr Cooper still heard him. He gave a laugh.   
  
“Ah, Mr Smith, you were always one of the funny ones. That’s why I’m giving you Employee of the Month.”   
  
Employee of the Month meant nothing more than a photo of yourself up in the main station. A place that barely anyone went to. Still the thought was nice, at least.   
  
“Oh, thanks!” Jonathon said, giving a smile.   
  
“Well, it is because of your stature. I mean, you’re never late, always polite, and I’ve never got a complaint about you!” Jonathon was hoping that this time, Mr Cooper got his facts straight. He continued, “Also, you never take time off, even for holidays. You worked on some major holidays, and of course you would work Christmas too!”   
  
Okay, there was one fact he got wrong. “No, I am not working on Christmas.”   
  
Still trying to keep up with Jonathon, Mr Cooper insisted, “I’ll give you a plaque!”   
  
“I don’t want one.”  
  
“You can be put on a float for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade!”   
  
“I don’t like parades.”   
  
“Have I mentioned the extra pay you’ll get?”   
  
“My answer is still no.”   
  
“Mr Smith, please.” Mr Cooper grabbed him lightly by the elbow and turned him around. “Please, I’m begging you. Look, Martha can’t do it, she’s going to visit her family that is out of town. Adam can’t either, because the flu. And Jabe is visiting America. Plus, I promised my kids that I would be there for them this year. So please?”   
  
Jonathon rolled his eyes lightly. “This stinks, Mr Cooper.”   
  
“I know.” He at least sounded sympathetic. “But Mr Smith, you’re the only one...”   
  
“Without a family,” Jonathon finished Mr Cooper’s unfinished thought.   
  
Though the older gentleman never said a word, he gave Jonathon a sad look.   
  
~*~   
  
Eventually the days passed, Jonathon’s tree was decorated, and it was Christmas morning and he was sitting behind the closed-in cubicle, head in his palm. It was boring as hell. Even worse today, since really nobody was at the station. Everybody else was at home, waking up to presents under their tree, while Jonathon sat cold and lonely in his ever present box. He hated this stupid box more than he hated Mr Cooper right now.   
  
He sighed as he watch a family of four, two parents with their two kids, running down the stairs, laughing as bags of unopened presents swung from the parents’ hands. It was moments like this that reminded Jonathon how incredibly lonely he was.   
  
It wasn’t long after that, however, that his spirits went in a completely new direction. For striding up to his cubicle was none other than the mysterious woman. She was looking as beautiful as always, a long black coat covering up her suit today. She was wearing a light pink scarf around her neck and kept glancing down at her iPhone. She dropped the token in the slot and said, “Hi.”   
  
Jonathon stared at her in shock. She was talking to him. His mysterious woman was actually acknowledging him. He didn’t know what to say, how to respond.   
  
“Happy Christmas,” she said, giving him a smile that made his heart skip a beat. She was even more beautiful than he first thought. Her blue eyes shined and her perfect nose and her perfect mouth just made him want to caress her so badly he had to curl his fingers into his hand.   
  
“Uh, you–you too,” he finally responded. She gave him another smile before walking towards the platform.   
  
He lowered his head until he was lightly banging himself on the desk. He must have sounded so stupid! Finally, the girl he had been dreaming about and mooning over for months noticed him and he froze. He was completely embarrassed and wondered how he was going to face the next time she came by.   
  
He looked up at her, watching her walk away as he said everything he should have said to her. “Thank you. Happy Christmas to you too. You’re beautiful! Will you marry me? I love you!” Groaning, he lowered his head again and wondered why God punished him like this.   
  
After a moment, he lifted his head and watched as the woman sat down at her usual bench, her purse on her lap, and her briefcase to the ground. Her finger was just grazing her iPhone when out of nowhere a young man ran passed her, grabbing her iPhone along the way.   
  
“Hey!” she shouted, standing up and trying to run after him in her heels. “Come back! You prick, come back!”   
  
Jonathon jumped out of his chair and opened the door to the cubicle when he saw a sight that made his heart stop: the woman’s ankle twisted underneath her and she fell right onto the tracks.   
  
“Oh my God,” Jonathon said, running over to her. The man was long gone, but Jonathon was more focused on her right now than her mobile. He went over to where he saw her fall and looked down, seeing her lying on the track unconscious. “Oh my God. Someone help! Help me! Miss! Miss are you okay? Miss, can you answer me? Can you get up?” After getting no response one way or another, Jonathon climbed down, muttering, “This is not good. This is the definition of not good.”   
  
He went over to her, feeling her neck for a pulse. She definitely had one, which was good. He leaned over, and felt her breath on his cheek. “Please wake up,” he said, “please wake up. Wow, you smell good. Please wake up. Can you hear me?”   
  
The woman gave no response, but Jonathon heard something that made him panic even more. The horn of the train. A train was coming right at them. And there was no way he could move her in time. “Okay, miss, this is probably unethical, but if it saves our lives, I’m willing to risk it.”   
  
He grabbed her and held her closely as he could. Then, hoping to God that this worked, he rolled himself and her over until they were out of harm’s way. He made it just in time too. The train was rushing passed them, it being an express, and it would have made them both pancakes if he didn’t move fast enough.   
  
Still laying on top of her, not believing that he just did that, Jonathon looked down at her in shock. One that they actually survived and two that he was this close to the woman he had admired from afar for so long.   
  
The woman started to move a bit, turning her head forward. Her blue eyes looked at his brown ones and he was certain that there was a connection. “Hi,” he whispered.   
  
But she gave no response, other than rolling her eyes to the back of her head and her head turning to the side. He checked again for a pulse. It was still going strong.   
  
Jonathon almost fainted from the shock of everything when the train stopped and a woman who was on the platform looked down at them and announced that she called for an ambulance and that he was a hero.   
  
~*~   
  
The hospital admitted the woman straight away, shouting words that made no sense to him but probably meant something to Martha. The EMT workers told him that he wasn’t allowed to go back, and he should check in with the front desk. So, that’s what he did.   
  
“Hi,” he said, running up to the desk. “Um, a few seconds ago a girl–I mean, a woman was brought in–”  
  
“What’s her name?” the nurse asked kindly.   
  
“Er, I don’t know.”   
  
“I need to know her name.”   
  
Jonathon looked over and could see the woman lying on a gurney with a tube going down her throat. “That’s her!” he shouted, pointing at her. “She’s over there!”   
  
He stared walking towards her, ignoring the nurse who said, “Wait, sir! You can’t go in there!” He only stopped because a male doctor stopped him in his tracks.  
  
“Whoa, you can’t go in there.”   
  
“No, you don’t understand,” Jonathon said. He needed to see her with his own eyes. He had to make sure that she was alright.   
  
“Are you family?”   
  
“What? No.”   
  
“Family only.”   
  
“No, I just–”  
  
He interrupted Jonathon. “You, wait over there,” he said, pointing to the corner of the waiting room.   
  
Jonathon groaned and ran his fingers through his brown hair. He kept looking at her through the glass doors, sadly. “Oh, I was going to marry her,” he muttered.   
  
Jonathon didn’t notice the dark-haired nurse nearby who was watching the scene in front of her carefully. When he uttered his comment, her eyes went huge and she looked around, trying to find a way to help him. She went over to the nurse’s station and asked about “Jane Doe,” referring to the unknown woman they just brought in. The nurse behind the desk replied that they were doing tests and were going to put her in the ICU.   
  
She watched as Jonathon walked over to the hard plastic chairs and sat down heavily. About an hour later, the nurse behind the desk told the other nurse that the Jane Doe--whose name was Jeanne Tyler--was set up in a room, and while still breathing, was unconscious.   
  
The dark-haired nurse went up to Jonathon and said, “Excuse me. You were the gentleman who came in with the woman before, correct? The one who fell on the track?”   
  
“Yes, that’s me,” Jonathon said, standing up.   
  
“She’s set up in the ICU. Would you like to see her?”   
  
He nodded enthusiastically. Picking up his coat that he had laid in the chair next to himself, he followed the nurse down the hall and onto the elevator. They then traveled two floors up, and walked down another hallway before entering the section that had automatic glass doors and the letters ‘ICU’ written across the wall.   
  
She led him down a smaller hallway and opened one of the doors. Inside were all kinds of machines that were beeping, a small night table with a lamp and a phone on it, a television, and the bed smacked dab in the middle with the woman lying under the covers. She had needles in her arm and the nostril plugs in her nose. Her one eye was bruised, but not too badly. She was still the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.   
  
Jonathon didn’t know what to do, exactly. The nurse, whose tag said “Joan,” gestured to the chair. He sat down, still unsure. “It’s helps if you talk,” Joan said kindly. Than with a small smile, she walked out of the room.   
  
Jonathon cleared his throat and looked at the woman. “Um…hi. Everything’s going to be okay.” He paused. He looked around, trying to think of something to say. Usually he can talk without a problem, but his tongue seemed to be useless at the moment.   
  
Joan watched from the window, still giving a sad smile. A copper came up next to her. He nodded to the people in the room. “Is that the woman from the track?”   
  
“Yes, it is.”   
  
“And is that the man who saved her life?”   
  
Joan nodded, her smiling getting bigger. “Yes. And even better, they’re engaged! How romantic is that?”


	2. Chapter 2

The copper smiled as well before walking into the room. “Hello, sir. I need to ask you a few questions about what happened.”   
  
Jonathon stood up. “Oh, yeah. Sure.”   
  
However, before the cop could say another word, a white-haired doctor walked in. He was a middle-aged man with wrinkles already forming by his eyes and forehead. Glasses were perched on the edge of his nose. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to this man for a moment.”   
  
The cop nodded, “Sure. I’ll be over there,” he said, pointing to outside the room.   
  
The doctor shook Jonathon’s hand. “Sir, I’m Dr. Thomas Connelly.”   
  
“I’m Jonathon.”  
  
Before another word could be spoken, many loud voices were heard from the hallway, ranging from “Where is she?” to “I hope she’s okay!” to “What was she _thinking_?!” About six people walked into the room, three women and three men. The one man and woman were about middle age. They both had blonde hair and held hands, the woman holding her other hand up to her mouth in shock of what was in front of her. The two other women both had red hair, though that’s were their similarities ended. One was probably in her late twenties, early thirties, while the other woman was in her early twenties. She was holding hands with the youngest male, who had dark blonde hair and a big nose. The oldest in the group was the last man, who had white hair and was holding his jacket in his hands.   
  
“Oh my God!” the older blonde shrieked when she saw the woman lying on the bed. “My baby! Oh, Jeanne!” She ran over to the bed, letting go of the man’s hand, and laid her hands gently on the woman’s—Jeanne—arm.   
  
“What was she thinking?” the older red-haired woman asked. She looked the least sympathetic of all the people. “It’s Christmas! She should have been at home!”   
  
“Maybe she was coming home,” the younger ginger said in response. She moved closer to the older blonde. “Jackie, here, take a step back. It’ll be alright.”   
  
“I’m with Donna on this one,” the younger man replied. “I doubt very much that she was coming home.”   
  
“Will someone tell me what happened exactly?” the blonde woman asked, looking at the doctor.   
  
Jonathon tried as best as he could to slip out the door without being seen.  
  
“What’s going on?” the oldest man asked. “What happened to her?”   
  
“She’s in a coma,” the doctor said.   
  
Jonathon was almost to the door.   
  
The oldest woman gave a huge sniff. “And it had to happen Christmas day!”   
  
“Her vital signs are strong, though, which is good,” the doctor said. Jonathon stopped for a moment, wanting to hear this. “Her brain waves are good. I think she’s going to get through this.”   
  
The oldest man asked the doctor, “Are you a specialist?”   
  
“What happened?!” the middle-age woman asked.   
  
“Um,” Jonathon said, before he thought better of it. “She tripped off the platform at the train station.”   
  
Eight pairs of eyes swung to look at him. Jonathon didn’t notice the nurse, Joan, entering the room.   
  
“Who are you?” the middle-age man asked.   
  
Joan looked at the older man curiously before saying, “That’s her fiancé!”   
  
“Fiancé?!” The older woman yells, beyond shocked.   
  
“Fiancé?” The older ginger comments before her eyes reach the ceiling. “Oh boy.”   
  
“What do you mean, fiancé?” the younger ginger asks the nurse. “Jeanne’s fiancé?”   
  
“Jeanne  _has_  a fiancé?” the man with the pointy nose asks.   
  
They were all speaking, one talking over the other one, but Jonathon himself looked gobsmacked. That’s why they let him in, though, because the nurse thought that he and the woman—Jeanne—were engaged!   
  
After a moment, his tongue started working again and he said, “No. No, I’m not—”  
  
But no one was listening. They were still all talking, trying to figure out why Jeanne never commented on the fact that she was engaged.   
  
“What type of woman doesn’t even tell her own parents?” the blonde-haired man asked.   
  
The oldest man sat down in the seat, holding his heart. The older ginger quickly rubbed his back. “Are you okay, gramps?”   
  
He nodded, still looking amazed by what he just heard.   
  
Jonathon overheard the doctor asking the youngest man if the older one was okay. “Yeah, yeah, he’s fine. He’s had three hearts attacks, though, so he’s probably just trying to calm down his heart now.”   
  
Jonathon looked even more nervous, not wanting to give the man his fourth heart attack.   
  
“I did not have attacks,” the man commented, though, obviously having heard the younger man comments. “Those were episodes!”   
  
The younger man rolled his eyes.   
  
“Excuse me, Doctor!” a younger doctor yelled as he walked into the room. It was the same doctor as before, the one who wouldn’t let Jonathon go near Jeanne. “What is he doing here?” he asked, eyes nodding towards Jonathon.   
  
“Hey, mate,” the police officer said, leaning into the doorway. “He’s the one who saved her life!”   
  
That got the big group’s attention.   
  
The blonde-haired woman looked over at him. “You saved her life?”  
  
Shifting his feet, Jonathon said uncomfortably, “Welllll, yeah. I did.”   
  
“I thought she tripped off the train station?” the middle-age man asked, confused.   
  
“He jumped onto the tracks,” the police officer informed them.   
  
All of their mouths dropped.   
  
“You jumped on the tracks!?” the older ginger yelled, as though he was an idiot. “Why on earth would you do  _that_?!”   
  
“Donna, be respectful. He saved your cousin’s life!” the oldest man said.   
  
“Doctor,” the younger doctor said, gritting his teeth. “It’s supposed to be family only.”   
  
The man sitting down commented, “He is family!”   
  
Jonathon looked over at him, surprised. This family has only known him for five minutes, doesn’t even know his name, and yet they call him family?   
  
Doctor Connelly whispered to the younger doctor, “He’s the fiancé.”   
  
Oh yeah. That was why.   
  
Jonathon kept shifting his feet, wanting nothing more than to bolt out of this room and never look back. The idea of being part of their family was nice…more than that, it would be amazing to be part of a family, any family. But to become one because of a lie? No, he couldn’t do that. Jonathon was raised to be a gentleman and to start of a relationship (of any kind) with a lie was downright cruel.   
  
“No, no, it’s okay,” Jonathon says, walking a bit closer to them. “I should probably go, anyway…”   
  
The middle-aged woman walked towards him, saying sadly, “We haven’t seen her in such a long time, and I thought I heard that she was dating, but she never updates me, so I never know what exactly is going on in my daughter’s life. At least the other one keeps me informed.”   
  
“That’s because she lives with you,” the older ginger—Donna?—commented, not meanly.   
  
The woman ignored her and focused on Jonathon. “I always wanted her to find a nice man.” Tears began to form in her eyes as she sobbed, “I so glad she found _you_!” And she reached over and grabbed Jonathon for a hug.   
  
Jonathon had no idea how to react. Should he hug her back? Pull away? This was not a situation he often found himself in and he just really wanted to get away. It got even more awkward as someone—he didn’t see who—patted him on the back. Someone else wrapped their arms around him from behind.   
  
~*~  
  
When they finally let go, Jonathon excused himself for a moment, asking Joan if she would come with him. Once they were in the hallway, he gently but firmly grabbed her wrist and pulled a few feet away from the door.   
  
“Why did you tell them that I was her fiancé!?” he asked, completely at a loss.   
  
Joan looked confused as well. “Well, you said you were going to marry her!”   
  
His eyebrows knitted together; he tried to think back, but came up empty. “When did I say that?!”   
  
“Before. Right when they admitted her! You said that you were going to marry that girl!”   
  
Jonathon groaned before turning around in a circle, his hands over his face. “I didn’t mean-—I never even spoke to that girl before! I was talking to myself!”   
  
“Well, next time you talk to yourself, tell yourself that you’re single and stop talking.”   
  
Jonathon sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “What do I do?”   
  
Joan looked just as lost as he did. “I don’t know.”   
  
“I—I could tell them.”   
  
Joan nodded. “Yeah, you could.”   
  
“Or I could—”  
  
“Excuse me,” someone from behind them said. Jonathon turned around. It was the older ginger, Donna. “Do you have a pharmacy in the hospital?” she asked Joan.   
  
“Is there something you need?”   
  
“Yeah, nitroglycerin, for my grandfather.”   
  
“For his heart condition?”   
  
“Condition? Try conditions.” She turned to Jonathon. After looking at him for a few seconds, she commented, “You know, I think you’ll do all right in our family. I think saving Jeanne’s life will boost you up a bit, in all honesty. And you brought her back to our very dysfunctional family.” She hit him lightly on the arm. “Welcome to the club.”   
  
“Why don’t you come with me?” Joan asked, leading the way.   
  
Jonathon was now more confused than ever. Should he say something, and risk them kicking him out? Or keep lying and enjoy the feeling of having a family again?   
  
God help him, he decided to play along, even if it was just a little bit longer. After all, it was Christmas. Who wants to be alone on Christmas?   
  
A little while later, all seven of them were sitting in the waiting room, hoping to hear anything new.   
  
He was trying to remember all of their names, since after he walked back into the room, they all introduce themselves so quickly. “Bet you didn’t expect to meet us like this, now did you?” the middle-aged man, Pete, had said.  
  
The middle-aged woman was Jeanne’s mother, Jackie Tyler and the middle-aged man was Jackie’s husband and Jeanne’s father, Pete Tyler. The older ginger was Donna Noble, that he knew. Donna’s half sister was Amy Pond, the other ginger, and the youngest man was her boyfriend, Rory Williams. The oldest gentleman was Wilfred Mott, grandfather to Donna Noble and Amy Pond, who were Jackie’s nieces.   
  
And each one of them were looking at Jonathon like he was a new interesting alien. They gave the same smile, which Jonathon returned, but his fingers kept intertwining.   
  
“So,” Wilfred—who insisted that Jonathon call him Wilf—said, leaning forward. “How did you meet Jeanne?”   
  
“Gramps, he doesn’t want to talk about that now, okay?” Donna said, accusingly.   
  
“Why not? I figured we could all use a nice story!”   
  
“What makes you think it was nice?” Donna asked.   
  
“Of course it was a nice story! Why shouldn’t it be nice?!” Wilf asked.   
  
“You remember that other guy Jeanne met? The one at the club?” Amy asked.   
  
“What does that have to do with anything?” Donna asked.   
  
“Louis Bourbon,” Jackie stated. “Oh, he was a handsome man.”   
  
“But what a snob. Thought he was the King of France,” Amy replied.   
  
“But she has a nice guy now,” Rory pointed out.   
  
“Did you steal him from Louis?” Amy asked, looking intrigued.   
  
Jonathon opened his mouth, but nothing came out. God, how many lies would he have to tell these people?   
  
“I bet,” Wilf said, “it was love at first sight. Am I right? I have a sense about these things.”   
  
“Gramps, let him tell it,” Donna said.   
  
“He is telling it.”   
  
“He hasn’t opened his mouth yet!”   
  
Wilf, however, either ignored Donna or just didn’t care. “I bet you swept her off your feet, didn’t you? I bet you made her feel special whenever she was around. You made her feel like she was the only woman you would ever need.”   
  
Jonathon didn’t know how much more of this he could take. His stomach was already flipping, thanks to the lies and guilt he was now under. But to hear this wonderful man compliment him on something that he didn’t do? His heart plummeted.   
  
“What was it first about Jeanne that caught your attention?” Jackie asked.   
  
Knowing that the wrong answer would be bum or legs, he replied, “Her smile. It was her smile.”   
  
Amy and Jackie looked at each other and grinned. Wilf even gave a big smile. Donna looked happy as she leaned back in her chair. Even Rory and Pete, who really didn’t say much, had grins.   
  
They were all quiet now, ready to listen. Jonathon spoke as much of the truth as he could. But he couldn’t help tripping over his words. “We saw each other, and she—she smiled. And I knew—I knew that my life would never be the same.”  
  
~*~  
  
Jonathon couldn’t stay much longer. Looking at all their happy faces as he told them half-truths was unbearable. He got out of there as quickly as he could and went home. But his guilt was getting the best of him. He thought about Jeanne’s family as he walked K-9, and while he watched mindless television over his dinner for one.   
  
And sleeping was pointless. Every time he closed his eyes, he could feel Jackie crying in his arms, thanking him for saving her daughter’s life. Feel Donna lightly hitting his arm as she welcomed him into the family. See Wilf’s smiling face as he asked if it was love at first sight.   
  
And it was all lies. Lies, lies, lies! He felt like he should have the word ‘liar’ tattooed on his forehead.   
  
Leaving his bed in shambles, he decided that there was one place that he needed to go to. So, putting on a pair of jeans and a baggy sweatshirt, he took the one o’clock train to the hospital.   
  
No one was around, and no one stopped him as he walked to Jeanne’s room. There was only a lamp in the room, giving everything a sepia color. He leaned against the door frame and looked at her lying on the bed.   
  
“Hi,” he said, much more confident than he had ever been around her. He walked closer to the bed, but didn’t touch it or her. He gave a small chuckle. “Bet you’re wondering what I’m doing here in the middle of the night, huh? Well, I thought I should introduce myself. My name’s Jonathon. Jonathon Smith. I think you should know your family thinks we’re engaged. I’ve never been engaged before, so I don’t quite know what to do or say. This is very sudden for me.  
  
“But the real reason I came here was because…” he paused before giving a chuckle. “Was because I didn’t mean for this to happen. Any of this. I don’t know what to do. I mean, if you were awake I wouldn’t be in this mess.” He was quick to add, “Not that I’m blaming you! It’s just when I was a kid, I always imagined my life being grander than this. I always imagined who I would be or what I would have or who I would be with. This,”—he gestured between the two of them—“was not was I imagined.”   
  
He sighed before sitting down on the seat next to her bed. “Nor did I imagined being twenty-seven and being completely alone. Wellll, I’m not completely alone. I have a dog. K-9. Little play on words. And I have an apartment. It’s small, but big enough for me. It’s just…” he looked down, unsure if he should say any more. But for the first time all day, his mouth got the best of him and he started blabbering on. “It’s just I don’t have anyone I can really talk to, you know? Nobody that I can really share my thoughts and feelings with.”   
  
He looked back at her and asked her, “Do you believe in love at first sight?” After a moment, he scrunched up his face. “Yeah, I bet you’re too sensible for that. But have you ever seen someone, and you were sure that if they saw you,  _really_  saw you, that they would dump whoever they were with and run to you with open arms? And they realized that you were the one they had been waiting for?” After a moment, he whispered, “Have you ever fallen in love with someone you never even spoke to? Have you ever been so alone that you go in the middle of the night to talk to a woman in a coma?”   
  
Jonathon leaned forward and lightly touched her hand. She didn’t move and he quickly retracted. He sat with her for the rest of the night.   
  
He never noticed that Wilf was watching him the whole time through the huge window. And he heard every word.


	3. Chapter 3

The next thing Jonathon knew he heard machines beeping and sunlight was practically hitting him in the face. He looked around, confused, before he realized that he must have fallen asleep sitting next to Jeanne. He looked at his watch and realized that though he had some time before he had to get to work, it wasn’t much. He grabbed his sweater that he took off before he fell asleep and stood up, looking down at Jeanne.   
  
“Good-bye,” he whispered, before turning around.   
  
“Jonathon!”   
  
And there were Jeanne’s family. All six of them, back again. Did they travel like that everywhere they went?   
  
“We didn’t know you were here!” Jackie said, holding flowers in her hand.   
  
“Hi everyone,” Jonathon mumbled.   
  
“Were you here all night?” Pete asked.   
  
“Yeah, yeah, I was.”  
  
“You’re like me!” Wilf said proudly. “Can sleep anywhere!”   
  
Donna leaned in towards Jonathan. “Believe me, he has.”   
  
Wilf and Donna stepped over to the other side of the bed as Jackie and Pete walked to where Jonathon fell asleep. Amy and Rory stayed at the head of the bed.   
  
“So, how’s Jeanne?”   
  
“Well, she has more color.”   
  
They all looked at Jeanne on the bed.   
  
“She does look a bit better,” Jackie said, holding Jeanne’s hand.   
  
“Yeah,” Jonathon said low before saying much louder, “I have to go. But it was great to see you guys again.”   
  
Jackie whispered something to Pete, who nodded and stepped towards Jonathon. “We, uh, didn’t really get to celebrate Christmas, so we’re going to tonight. It would be nice if you could join us.”   
  
Jonathon looked at all of them, each one give him a hopeful smile. “Oh. Um. I would love to, but I can’t.”   
  
“You could meet Rose!” Amy said. “And Jack. Oh you have to meet them! They have been dying to meet you.”   
  
“Oh, right. Of course,” Jonathon said, though he had no clue who either Rose or Jack were.  
  
“That’s right, you haven’t met them!” Jackie said. “Oh, you’ll just love both of them. Rose is Jeanne’s younger sister and Jack is Rose’s best friend. He’s a bit loose, if you catch my drift.” Jackie said, like he should prepare himself.   
  
“I think Jack has flirted with everybody in this room,” Donna commented.   
Jonathon opened his mouth, not sure how to respond to that. “Um…”   
  
“But he’s harmless, and so is Rose. Please say you’ll meet them. Tonight,” Jackie said.   
  
“Please do,” Donna and Amy said at the same time.   
  
Jonathon looked around, trying to come up with a reason not to go. And if he was honest with himself, he would have to acknowledge the fact that he did in fact want to go. But he couldn’t trespass on these people’s kindness. So, with a heavy heart, he said, “No, no. I don’t think so. I have to work.”   
  
Pete frowned, but asked if anyone had a paper and pen to write down the address. Amy gave him a small pad of paper while Donna handed him a pen. “In case you change your mind, this is Jackie and mine’s address,” he said, writing it down. “It’s a small place, but it will be nice. And here’s our phone number.” He gave Jonathon the paper. “We hope to see you tonight.”   
  
Jonathon took the paper. “Okay. Well. Thanks.”   
  
He backed out of the room, giving all of them a small wave. Rory and Amy waved back while the rest just smiled and nodded.   
  
Looking down at the paper, Jonathon felt like he was spinning around in a circle and didn’t know how to stop. He felt terrible for lying to them, but he honestly didn’t know how to say no to them. They were all so nice and welcoming that for once he felt like he had people who really cared about him. And it felt nice. He knew it was wrong, horribly wrong, but it felt so nice to be wanted that he had a hard time saying no.   
  
Walking towards the elevator, Jonathon heard someone yelled, “Sir!” behind him. Turning around, he saw a male nurse walking hastily towards him, holding a box. “Excuse me, sir. But this is for you.”   
  
“What is this?” Jonathon asked, looking into the opened box and seeing   
Jeanne’s jacket right on top.   
  
“It’s your wife’s things,” the nurse said.   
  
“I’m  _not_  her  _husband_ ,” Jonathon said through gritted teeth.   
  
“Sorry,” the nurse said, unsure of how to respond. “Your fiancée.” With that, he pushed the box into Jonathon’s arms and turned around, walking away quickly.  
  
Jonathon looked down at the box, unsure if he should even touch anything. After all, these items belonged to a stranger.   
  
Someone came up behind Jonathon and said, “Excuse me.”   
  
Jonathon wanted to scream so badly, his throat started to hurt. Turning around, he asked with the little patience he had left, “Yes?”   
  
A very handsome man was standing there. He had dark black hair and dark brown eyes. In the suit that he was wearing, he looked like he belonged in a courtroom more than a hospital. “Are you Jeanne Tyler’s fiancé?”   
  
Jonathon had no idea how this man could have known that, but right now didn’t care that much. All he wanted was to see his bed. “Okay.”   
  
“I’m Adam. I’m a partner of Jeanne’s, at Hartnell, Troughton, and Pertwee’s.”   
That explained the suit. With his hands still holding the box, Jonathon pointed to the open elevator door. “I have to go.”   
  
“Jeanne’s a great girl. Really, wonderful. Fantastic lawyer. Even after the accident last fall.”   
  
Jonathon couldn’t care less about any accident. His bed was looking better and better. But he sighed, and fixed the box in his arms before asking with very little enthusiasm. “Accident?”   
  
Adam, however, got his back up immediately. “It wasn’t my–Did she tell you it was my fault?!”   
  
 _Whoa_ , Jonathon thought.  _Someone has a guilty conscious._    
  
“It was a slip! You have to believe me! The lights went out, and I slipped and fell! I didn’t mean to land on her!”   
  
“Okay…” Jonathon sighed again as he saw the doors close and his chance of freedom going with it.   
  
~*~   
  
“Why not correct them then?” Martha asked after listening to what happened to Jonathon within the past forty-eight hours.   
  
Jonathon was back at work, thanking his lucky stars that this was the most boring job in the world and he didn’t have to focus too much on it right now. Because his mind would not stop thinking about what had happened to him.   
  
And he had to tell someone. Someone who knew him, but didn’t know the family. Before he knew it, he started telling Martha, the words falling right out it was almost embarrassing. But Martha was kind and intelligent and would not pass judgments. Which made her the perfect person right now.   
  
“Because they think I’m their future son-in-law, Martha!” Jonathon said, in response to her question. “And her grandfather, really sweet man, has a heart condition! He could have a heart attack at anytime! He could die and I don’t want to be the cause of it!”   
  
Martha gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Then go along with it.”   
  
He turned around to really look at her. “Martha!” he squealed, his eyes wide.   
  
“What?” she said, taking a sip of her tea. “You like this woman. I see the way that your eyes follow her when she walks by. Now, instead of meeting the woman first, you’ll meet the family first. And if the family is lovely, why wouldn’t she? And if that doesn’t work, when this Jeanne finally wakes up, the family will probably be so happy that they won’t care that you lied to them. They may even thank you for it.”   
  
Jonathon rolled his eyes. He thought of Donna as he said sarcastically, “Yeah, right.” Then another thought hit him. “What if she doesn’t get out of her coma? What if she never wakes up?”   
  
“Then no one will ever know.”   
  
Jonathon groaned. “Martha, you’re not helping.”   
  
“Jonathon, when I told my parents that I wanted to be the first person in our family to go to university, I thought they would have a fit! They kept telling me that there was no way that I could afford it, that I would be in debt until I was almost dead, that it was pointless. But I refused to believe them, and I continued going because I knew that it was right. I knew that I had to do it, because it felt right.”   
  
“That’s the problem, Martha. Nothing about this situation feels right.”   
  
~*~   
  
That night, Jonathon got his dinner for one prepared and made dinner for K-9. He called for his dog, but K-9 must have been sleeping, because he never came. And Jonathon just looked down at his dinner, and realized that this wasn’t just depressing, it was sad. Leaning back in his chair, he wondered when exactly he became so lonely.   
  
But he remembered the address in his pocket and knew that somewhere there was a family that would welcome him with smiles and hugs. And though it was under false pretenses, he couldn’t help but feel like that’s what he needed right now. He needed someone to laugh with. And if there were six (possibly even eight, including this Rose and Jack) people, all the better.   
  
So that’s how he found himself heading towards London, looking for the Powell Estate. Figuring out the route via train, he eventually found the building itself, but he was still trying to figure out if this was a good idea or not. His stomach was twisting, but he wanted to do this so badly.   
  
He was walking towards the correct building holding a bouquet of flower he bought earlier, when he heard someone yell, “Hey! Train-Man!” He looked up and saw Donna waving down at him. “Glad you could make it!”   
  
He waved back before locating the staircase and going up a couple of flights. Before he reached what he hoped was his last one, Donna appeared in the middle. “Hey ya, Train-Man.”   
  
“I do have a name, you know,” he said good naturally.   
  
“Yeah, whatever. I like Train-Man more. Come on, we’re waiting for you.” She grabbed him by the hand and lead him towards the correct apartment.   
  
“I didn’t tell you that I was coming,” Jonathon said, following her. “How could you know that I was?”   
  
“Call it a lucky guess.” She pushed opened the door and walked through it, yelling, “Jonathon’s here!”   
  
He walked into what had to be the hallway. There was a door on either side of him, both closed shut, but up ahead he could hear the rest of the family. Walking towards the sound, Jackie came into the doorframe of what had to be the living room. “Oh, good! You made it! Come, I want you to meet Rose and Jack.”   
  
Walking further down the small hallway, he reached the living room. Or rather, the living room/dining room. On his left was a very small kitchen that was letting out a smell that made Jonathon’s stomach growl with delight. And straight ahead of him was a dining room table, only set for five, though. Rory, Pete, and Wilf were sitting at the table, and each gave Jonathon a handshake. The living room was in the same room as the dining room and it contained one overstuffed couch and two overstuffed chairs. Amy was sitting in one chair, and the other chair was empty, but he had a feeling that Jackie was sitting there. Donna sat down on the couch, next to two people he had yet to meet.   
  
Sitting next to Donna was a very handsome man, with jet black hair and blue eyes. He wore a button down shirt that matched his eyes and jeans. He gave Jonathon a grin, like he liked what he saw. Jonathon assumed this was Jack.   
  
Next to him and sitting on the end of the couch was a beautiful woman. She very much like Jackie, but had features that made her looked better than her mother. She had the same bleached blonde hair as Jackie, and the shape of their faces were similar, but that’s pretty much where it ended. Her eyes were a light brown and her smile was huge, making him feel instantly welcomed. She wore a light pink sweater and blue jeans as well. He kind of liked that fact that her socks were mismatched. This had to be Rose.   
  
And he was proven correct when Jackie introduced both of them a moment later. “Rose, Jack,” Jackie said, putting a hand on Jonathon’s shoulder. “This is Jeanne’s fiancé, Jonathon.”   
  
Both of them stood up and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you,” Jack said, giving him a wink.   
  
“Likewise,” Jonathon said, sans the wink.   
  
“I can’t believe that my sister is engaged and no one knew,” Rose commented after their hands let go. “It seems like the kind of thing she would want to yell from every rooftop.”   
  
Jonathon didn’t know how to respond. Though Rose’s comment was said good-naturally, it still made in him a bit on edge.   
  
“These are for the family,” he said, handing Jackie the bouquet of flowers.   
  
“How beautiful! Here, Jonathon, have a seat,” Jackie said, taking the bouquet and pointing to the one overstuffed chair. He sat down, and had five pairs of eyes on him. “You know, you told us how you met Jeanne, but you never talked about yourself. Tell me, did you see your folks yesterday after you left the hospital?”  
  
“No,” Jonathon said with a shake of his head. “No, they’re both dead. My mother died when I was a child and my father was just a couple of years ago.”   
  
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Jackie replied. Everyone else gave their condolences as well. “What about siblings?” Jonathon shook his head. Jackie’s face fell. “Cousins?” He shook his head. “Aunts? Uncles? Grandparents?” He shook his head at all three. “You have no one?” Jackie bluntly asked.   
  
“God, Jacks,” Pete said from the table. “Make the boy feel depressed, why don’t ya?”   
  
“It’s okay,” Jonathon said to Pete. “I’m used to it.” Turning back to Jackie he responded, “It’s just me. And my dog.”   
  
“Oh, what’s his name?” Amy asked.   
  
“K-9. The letter ‘k’ and the number ‘9.’”   
  
Everyone looked at him confused, except for Rose, who chuckled.   
  
“K-9?” Rory asked.   
  
“Play on words,” Rose answered. “I like it.”   
  
Jonathon gave her a smile. “Thanks.”  
  
There was a moment of silence before Jackie said, “Oh, I bet you would love to see pictures of Jeanne was she was little!” Before anyone could say another word, Jackie went into one of the rooms that Jonathon passed on his way into the living room.   
  
“Mum!” Rose yelled from her seat. “Don’t embarrass Jeanne.” Then much lower, but still loud enough for Jonathon to hear, she muttered, “Oh at least do it when she’s here.”   
  
Either Jackie ignored her daughter’s request, or simply didn’t hear it, because she came out with two bulging albums. She handed one to Jonathon. “Here, look at this one.”   
  
Jonathon took it and slowly opened it up. The three men behind him were talking about a football game that was on earlier and Rose, Donna, and Amy were discussing some gossip about people Jonathon didn’t know. Jack and Jackie came over to Jonathon to look down at the photos.   
  
“Oh, that’s when we brought Jeanne, home. Oh she cried for months! My ears are still ringing from her piercing sound.” Jonathon flipped the pages and watched as Jeanne got older in each one. When she was about three, there was another little baby in the photos. “And here’s Rose! She was much calmer, thank goodness. Jeanne always seemed to take up so much of my time and attention.”   
  
Jonathon looked up to see Rose glancing over at Jackie with a look that suggested she very well knew this piece of information.   
  
He looked down at the photo of Jeanne when she was about seven and Rose when she was about five. “Oh, here they are, going to school. First day for them both. Oh, I cried so much. Pete, you remember?”  
  
“Yep,” he said casually, not really paying attention to the conversation.   
  
When Jonathon was finished with that book, Jackie handed him the other one and then excused herself to go check on dinner. Rose went over to him and glanced down at the photos.   
  
“ _Mum_!” she shrieked as she grabbed the book. “You have my prom photo in here?”   
  
“Well, of course I do, Sweetheart. Both you and Jeanne looked beautiful that night,” Jackie called from the kitchen.   
  
“Only one of us looked beautiful, and it wasn’t me,” Rose mumbled, holding the album to her chest.   
  
“Oh, come on, Rosie, you did look breathtaking that night,” Jack said.   
Rose leaned towards him, talking over Jonathon’s head, and whispered, “Jack, you know that was the worst night of my life.”  
  
He leaned over as well and whispered back, “Yeah, but others don’t.” He pointedly looked down.   
  
Rose followed his gaze and saw Jonathon looking up at them, curious. “Am I missing something?” he asked.   
  
“No,” Rose said quickly. She then looked down at the album and thumbed it lightly. “No, it’s just…not happy memories. Jeanne looked wonderful, though, if you want to see her. She had a wonderful time.”   
  
“I thought there was three years between you and Jeanne,” Jonathon said, curious about something. “How could you go to the same prom?”   
  
“A boy in her year asked me,” Rose said before turning away and walking back to the room where Jackie got the books.   
  
“Touchy subject, in case you haven’t noticed,” Jack said.   
  
“Kind of figured that out for myself, thanks.”   
  
Jack shrugged. “I was there too, since a girl from Jeanne’s year asked me as well. I saw the whole thing. It was…bad, to put it mildly.”   
  
“Can I ask what happened?” Jonathon wondered aloud.   
  
“You could ask, buddy, but you’re not getting mum from me. I swore not to tell a living soul, I am meant it. I may be a lot of things, but disrespectful, I am not.” He looked up at Jackie as she brought in a big bowl filled with mashed potatoes. “And I can tell you one thing, I am starving and that looks delicious!” he said to Jackie. “Is it almost time, Mrs. T?”   
  
“Almost,” Jackie replied before going back into the kitchen.   
  
Rose came back into the living room, arms crossed. She went up to Jonathon. “Sorry about that.”   
  
He waved her off. “It’s nothing. Fine. Fine.”   
  
She nodded her thanks again. She grabbed an unused chair from the table and sat down next to him. “So, tell me more about yourself.”   
  
“I’m not all that interesting.”   
  
She smiled. His eyes widen. “I bet you are, though.”   
  
“I already told you that I don’t have a family. What more could you possibly want to know?”   
  
She shrugged. “Where you grew up. Your hometown. How you get your hair to stick up like that.”   
  
Jack and Jonathon laughed. “Yeah, I was wondering the same thing,” Jack commented.   
  
Jonathon ran his fingers through his hair self-consciously. His hair was one of things he actually liked about himself. He was a tall, gangly man with freckles across his nose and upper cheekbones. His nose was a bit pointy and his lips too thin. He hated his dark eyes, always wishing he inherited his mom’s baby blues instead. But his brown hair was something he was proud of. He worked hard on it, using just the right about of gel to get it up without it looking like it was hard to the touch.   
  
As he told them his secret, Wilf stood up and walked over to his coat. He pulled out a camera and answered, “Everyone, in front of the tree! It’s time for our annual Christmas picture!”   
  
“Gramps!” Donna groaned. “You’re kidding, right?”  
  
“I most certainly am not,” he said, offended. “Now get up there! All of you! Scoot!”   
  
Jackie came out of the kitchen as everyone but Wilf and Jonathon gathered around the medium size tree tucked in the corner.   
  
“Come on, Jonathon,” Amy insisted. Rose and Jack waved him to come over.   
  
“No, no, this is a family picture.”   
  
Donna got out from the group and grabbed his hand, pulling him up. “Well, you’re part of the family now, so you better smile.” Then pushing him lightly to stand in the back–because he towered over almost everyone, except Jack–they all smiled as Wilf took the photo.   
  
~*~   
  
After they ate what had to be enough food to feed an army (with Wilf, Jackie, Pete, Jonathon, and Rose sitting at the table and Donna, Amy, Rory, and Jack sitting on the couches to eat), they all moved the dining room chairs into the cramp living room to exchange presents.   
  
Before they were seated, though, Wilf pressed a glass of eggnog into Jonathon’s hand before they sat and insisted that he drink it slowly. And he knew why: it was strong. So strong that there was no way he could drink it and drive. He put it to the side and watched as everyone opened their gifts from one another.   
  
There was wrapping paper on the floor, and Jack complained (well, not really) that he was stuck in between Donna and Rose on the couch. Donna told him to shove it, to which he replied, “Just tell me when and where.” She smacked him on the back of the head for that.   
  
They passed gifts around that other members of the family had sent, and laughed at some of the ridiculous things they had received. “Honestly,” Donna said holding up a vase that looked like it could hold at least a hundred roses and weighed eighty pounds. “What in bloody hell am I going to do with this? Who sent it?” She checked the card and groaned. “Aunt Winnie. Should have figured.”   
  
Rose got a Peanuts tin-lunch box with a note attached that it was signed by Charles Schulz himself. “Did Aunt Winnie mean the little signature that is in the corner of every Peanut product?” Rose asked as the rest of the family laughed.   
  
Jonathon watched happily as the family joked about people he didn’t know and told stories that he had never heard. And he was more than fine with it. For the first time in a long time, he was content, and that made his Christmas.   
However, he was a bit surprised when Jack (who was now wearing a Santa hat, although it was horribly crooked) took a long thin box from under the tree and passed it to Jonathon. “Here ya go, buddy. From Santa.”   
  
Jonathon took it curiously. No one was really watching him, Jack had gone over to Donna and they started singing Jingle Bells off key. Rose and Amy were discussing what Donna could put in her huge vase. Jackie, Rory, Pete, and Wilf were still opening gifts, there chit-chat overlapping as the sound of paper rustling filled the air. The little note on the wrapping paper said  **To: Jonathon Merry Christmas! From: Santa.**  With no one paying him any attention, he unwrapped it and opened the box to reveal a brown tie with brown and blue swirls on it. In that moment, it became his favorite tie.   
  
Unbelievably touched, he wondered who would have bought him this. It meant so much, more the thought than the actual gift itself. Jonathon felt tears in his eyes and tried so hard not to cry, but he felt like he was failing. He wanted to know who this Secret Santa was so he could thank them personally, but he had eight people to choose from. He had no idea who it could have been.   
  
And in all honesty, he couldn’t care less. It could have been from all of them, and it still would have made his heart swell with love.   
  
~*~   
  
In an empty apartment in the middle of London, a phone rang loud and piercing. After five rings, the answer phone picked up.   
  
“ _You’ve reached Jeanne Tyler. Leave a message after the tone_.”   
  
“ _Hi baby_ ,” a male voice known very well to Jeanne spoke lovingly into the phone. “ _It’s me, Harry. America certainly is beautiful, but not as beautiful as you.  
  
“Anyway, I hope you’ve been giving some thought to my question. And I hope your answer with be yes! Because I know how much you would love a wedding in the spring.   
  
“Give me a call back. Love ya!_”   
  
~*~   
  
Jonathon’s eyes cracked opened and he groaned as sunlight hit him across his face. He moved the blanket to cover himself from the revolting sunlight when he heard someone chuckle from above him. Still under the covers, his eyes cracked opened as he tried to think back on where he was at the moment.   
  
Then he remembered: Tylers’ house, Christmas presents, too much food, and way too much Eggnog. Jack got him to finish his drink as the night went on, and there was no way he could get home. Pete told him he could crash on the couch as long as he was quiet when he got up.   
  
Seems like someone beat him to the punch.   
  
Lowering the blanket, he saw Rose smiling down at him. “Morning,” she said.   
  
 _Argh_ , Jonathon thought, closing his eyes.  _A morning person_. “Mornin’” he mumbled.   
  
He could hear footsteps walking away from him and figured Rose was going to the kitchen. “Do you want something?”   
  
“A new head would be great.”  
  
Rose laughed. “How about some bacon? That’s pretty much the only thing I can make without burning it.”   
  
He lowered the blanket and couldn’t help but comment back, “You burn cereal?” He wasn’t even sure what made him say that, but there it was.   
  
He heard her chuckle. “I could, given the chance. Anyway, you want some?”   
  
“No thanks. I like my cereal nonburnt.”   
  
“Smartass,” he heard her mutter. He gave a smile. “I meant bacon!” she yelled back.   
  
“Shush!” Holding his head, he slowly sat up. “Are you always this loud?”   
  
“Only when people have hangovers. Anyway, bacon? In? Out?”   
  
Though he knew it probably wasn’t a good idea, he said, “Yeah, sure.”   
  
Standing up he walked over to the kitchen and watched as Rose, wearing baggy sweats and a tight tang-top, fill a kettle with water. “You want tea?” she shouted, obviously thinking he was in the next room.   
  
“Yes!” he shouted back, even though his head pounded. But when she jumped, he knew it was worth it.   
  
“Oh, look at that, you’re among the living.” She turned around and looked at him. Her eyebrows went up as she said, “Though you certainly don’t look like it.”   
  
“I slept in my clothes. I’m fine.”   
  
She bit her lip, like she wanted to say something but thought better of it. Instead she shrugged and set out a frying pan. She carefully put it on the stovetop before going over to the fridge and taking out a package of bacon.   
  
“How can you burn cereal and not bacon?” he asked as he leaned against the doorframe, folding his arms.   
  
“Honestly, I have no idea,” she said as she turned on the flame under the pan and placed a couple pieces of the uncooked pork on it. “But this and toast are just about the only things I can make. How about you? Do you cook?”   
  
“Not really. I usually just order in or get a meal for one.”   
  
The bacon sizzled, as she looked over at him, eyebrows raised. “Sounds depressing.”   
  
He gave a shrug like it meant nothing to him, even though his heart sank every time he set the meal on the table. “You get used to it.”   
  
“Maybe it’s because I come from a big family, but the idea of being on my own…” She shook her head, not finishing her thought. Instead she turned to the kettle that was done and poured two cups of tea. She handed one mug to Jonathon, who asked for sugar.   
  
She had to reach over the stove for the box of sugar, and it was just out of her reach. Even standing on tippy-toes, she couldn’t quite make it. Jonathon tried not to watch as her shirt rode up a bit, showing off some of her stomach. Shaking his head quickly, he stood behind her and easily reached over her to get the box.   
  
When he pulled it down and took a step back, Rose gave him a glare. “Show off,” she muttered as she went back to the bacon. He gave a laugh as he poured his desired amount of sugar into his tea.   
  
Opening the cabinet to her left, she pulled out a plate and started putting bacon on it. She handed it to Jonathon, who took one and popped it into his mouth. “Whoa!” he said as he just as quickly pulled out the steaming hot bacon.   
  
“It’s just off the stove,” Rose said, hiding her smile. “What did ya expect?”   
Jonathon blew on the piece of meat before chewing on it again. He was about to remark on how it actually was burnt when his eyes caught the time on the clock on the wall. “Oh my God, is that time right?” he said urgently.  
Rose glanced up at the clock. “Yeah.”   
  
Jonathon took two pieces of bacon off the plate and ran to get his coat. “I have to go. I’m going to be late for work! Thanks Rose!” Once he had all of his belongings (which included his gift last night from Santa), Jonathon ran out of the apartment, slamming the door.  
  
Jackie, still rubbing her eyes, walked out of her bedroom and padded down to the kitchen where she saw her youngest daughter making bacon and drinking tea.   
  
“What in blazes are you doing?” Jackie asked, wondering if she was still dreaming.   
  
“Making bacon. Want some?”   
  
“Since when do you make bacon? Since when do you cook, period?”   
  
Rose shrugged. “Since this morning.”   
  
“Hmmm,” Jackie said, not convinced. She turned around and noticed that the couch was empty and Jonathon’s coat was gone. “Where’s Jonathon?”   
  
Rose bit into some bacon as she said, “He just left.”   
  
“Did you scare him away?”   
  
Rose sighed. “No.”   
  
“Was that him, slamming his way outta here?”   
  
“Yeah, he had to leave. Had to go to work.”   
  
“Were you talking to him?”   
  
“Yeah, I was. Nice guy,” Rose said, making enough bacon for her parents and herself. Turning off the stove, she said, “Decent bloke.”   
  
“Yeah, he is. Seems like your sister finally got it right!”   
  
Because Rose had her back to her mother, Jackie didn’t see how her face fall. “Yeah. Seems like she did.”


	4. Chapter 4

Finally home after work, Jonathon sat on his bed, having changed out of his clothes and into his jim-jams. He pulled over the box of Jeanne’s things and though he knew it was kind of wrong, he went through it.   
  
First he pulled out her purse, looking for her wallet. He wondered if she carried any photos. As it so happened, she did. There were a few photos of her with people he didn’t know, but there were two photos with people he did know. One picture had Jeanne, Donna, Amy, and Rose in it, all smiling for the camera. Jeanne was wearing a cap and gown, holding a diploma in her hand; all of them were smiling. The other photo was of Rose and Jeanne when they were children. Both had light blonde hair, but Jeanne’s eyes were blue like their mother’s whereas Rose had her father’s light brown eyes. They had their arms around each other, and looked very happy to be standing next to each other.   
  
Next, he pulled out a manila envelope that had two rings, a pair of diamond earrings, her watch, some loose change she must have had in her pockets. He put all the items back in the envelope and put it back in the box before pulling out a plastic bag that only at one thing in it: a tin of cat food.   
  
“Shit!” he yelled when it dawned on him that this meant she had a cat. Pulling out her purse, he quickly looked for her wallet and hoped that she had a driver’s license. She did, and it said a different address than where her parents and sister lived.   
  
He grabbed his keys and tin can, and after quickly changing into a pair of jeans, and flew out of his apartment and went to the train station, hoping the whole time the cat was fine.   
  
He could tell one thing, however, when he came upon her apartment building: she was definitely out of the estates. Her building was in the middle of London city itself and it screamed of money. That man the other day (was that really only yesterday morning?) said that she worked at a partner firm with him. Guess this was how she showed off her money.   
  
Luckily, the guards at the door were preoccupied with a screaming child and a woman who would not take no for an answer. He walked over to the elevators unseen and hoped he looked like he knew where he was going.   
  
Getting off on the twelfth floor, he looked at the numbers on the door until he found the one he was looking for: 1721. Having taken her keys that was also in her purse, he finally figured out which one opened her door and quickly walked in.   
  
Unlike her parent’s apartment, Jeanne’s apartment was huge. Jackie’s entire living quarters would fit perfectly into Jeanne’s living room. The furniture was all top of the line, looking more elegant than comfortable. There were paintings on the walls, surely worth a thousand pounds each. Some of them looked like nothing to Jonathon, just paint splattered on the canvas; work a four-year-old does. There were enormous windows that took up the whole one wall, which gave an amazing view of the city.   
  
But one thing Jonathon noticed right away was that this didn’t look like the apartment a young woman owned. This didn’t look like an apartment anyone owned. It was too perfect. Everything was in its place. “Very clean,” he muttered to himself. There was one thing that made him nervous, however, and that was it didn’t look like a cat lived here either.   
  
“Kitty,” he said louder, looking over the apartment. He could see the spacious dining room, which would have been needed yesterday to accommodate all of Jeanne’s family members and himself for dinner.   
  
Whistling, Jonathon walked further into the apartment. “Kitty. Here kitty, kitty, kitty.” He noticed a black and white picture of Jeanne, that was placed on a table near what happened to be the kitchen, but could have been a whole other apartment instead. She looked so beautiful in the photo. So elegant and timeless.  
  
Focus, Jonathon, focus.   
  
“Kitty. Come out, Kitty, from wherever you are!”   
  
As Jonathon took in the kitchen (that was sparkly and clean, there was no way anyone used it), he never heard the door of the apartment open. He just kept calling out of the cat that never appeared.   
  
“Kitty!”   
  
He looked around, not seeing any cat, but kept calling out anyway. He walked through the kitchen and went to open a swinging door when someone yelled in pain from the other side. Though it was only for a second, he swore he saw blonde hair.   
  
Covering his mouth in horror, he slowly opened the door and saw Rose standing a couple of steps back covering her nose. “Oh my God,” he said coming over to her. “Are you alright? I’m so sorry.”  
  
“Nice shot,” she said sarcastically. She lowered her hands, but there was no blood nor a mark.   
  
Jonathon ran back for a towel he saw on the counter and opened the huge freezer door, looking for ice or a bag of frozen peas. He wrapped up some ice cubes in the towel and handed to Rose, who gently put it on her nose.   
  
“How did you get in here?” she asked.   
  
“Key,” Jonathon responded.   
  
With the towel still pressed to her nose, Rose nodded. “Right. ‘Course. You have a key.”   
  
“No, I meant–” Jonathon quickly started before stopping. How would it sound if he said that he just went through her purse and took her house keys? Stalkerish and wrong. For once, he decided to keep his mouth shut. “Yeah, yeah, I have a key.”   
  
“She  _must_  like you,” Rose commented. “Jeanne doesn’t just give out her key to anyone. It took me years before she let me have a key to her apartment.”   
  
“Oh, well, you know,” he said awkwardly, not really sure how he should respond. “Come over, feed the cat.”   
  
“Cat? What cat? Jeanne doesn’t have a cat.”   
  
Suddenly feeling extremely stupid, Jonathon felt his ears start to burn. No cat? Then why does she have a tin of cat food? And wouldn’t the fiancé know either or not his beloved had a cat?   
  
Jonathon opened and closed his mouth, trying to think of what to say when, like a miracle from up above, they both heard a faint “Meow” and looked down to see a orange tabby in the doorway of the kitchen.   
  
Jonathon looked at Rose, relief coursing through him. “That cat.” He went over to it and gently picked it up. “Hello,” quickly looking at its tag, he said, “Toclafane. Come, let’s get you something to eat.”   
  
Rose looked at him, eyebrows raised in shock. Though whether it was because of the fact that Jeanne had a car or its name, Jonathon wasn’t sure.   
  
As Toclafane ate the tin of food Jonathon brought, the phone started to ring. Rose looked at Jonathon. “Aren’t you going to get that?” she asked, curiously. She didn’t have the towel on her nose anymore, and there was no mark.   
  
Jonathon shook his head. It was bad enough he was in Jeanne’s apartment; he didn’t need to answer her phone. “No, I’ll let it go to the answer phone.”   
  
Instead, Rose went over to the phone and answered it. “Hello?” Jonathon watched as she turned around, looking at him curiously. She held out the phone. “It’s for you.”   
  
Jonathon tried to hold back his surprise, and took a step forward, taking the phone from Rose. Holding up to his ear, he said, “Hel–Hello?” After a moment, he said, “Oh, okay. Yes. Okay. Bye.” He hung up and turned to Rose. “That was the hospital. They said it customary for the friends and family to come down to give blood.”   
  
“Well, then, let’s go.”   
  
Rose walked to the door, Jonathon hot on her heels. The ride down on the elevator was not uncomfortable, but it was silent. Until Rose commented that they should check on Jeanne’s car, since it hasn’t been used in a couple of days.   
  
“No, no,” Jonathon insisted, trying not to let the panic rise up in his voice. He had no idea what kind of car she drove, and he didn’t want to drive it even if they did find it. He barely knew this woman; it was bad enough he was hanging out with her family and sneaking around in her apartment, but to drive her car as well? No, he couldn’t. He couldn’t.   
  
But Rose insisted.   
  
“My mate, Mickey, works with cars. He told me this morning to go check on it, make sure everything is alright. You know that the engine is working fine and all. So, might as well drive it to the hospital.”   
  
Rose pushed the button for the car park, and before Jonathon could argue why this was a bad idea, the elevator doors opened and Rose walked out. He had no choice but to follow her.   
  
She turned around to face him. “Do you know where it’s parked?” she asked.   
  
“Of-of course,” he said uncertainly, taking her keys out of his pocket. He hoped Rose didn’t come to the conclusion that that’s how he got into the apartment earlier. Otherwise, this was going to be one awkward trip to the hospital. He cleared his throat as he pressed the button for the alarm to go off.   
  
About three cars away from them, a bright red car flashed its lights. “It’s over there,” Jonathon said, walking towards the car. It was a 2013 Mini Limited Editions, with only two doors. The car was much too small for Jonathon, even when he pushed the seat all the way back. Luckily it had a sunroof, because otherwise he would have to drive with his head tilted. Rose asked if he wanted her to drive, but he insisted.   
  
The drive, thank God, was not too long and when they walked in and told the nurses’ station why they were there, then they were both escorted to a small room down the hall from the main entrance. Both of them were lying on the bed, getting ready to give blood when Rose commented, “We need to get pictures of you. For my mom’s mantle, I mean.”   
  
“Pictures of me?” he asked, his eyes widening.   
  
“Well of course. Pictures of you and Jeanne together.” She looked over at him. “Do you have any?”   
  
Fumbling for an answer, Jonathon looked down at his lap before saying, “Um, well, no. I don’t like having my photo taken.”   
  
Rose’s one eyebrow went up. “Really? But you’re so handsome!” She immediately blushed and looked down at her lap.   
  
The nurse put the needle in Rose’s arm and went to do the same to Jonathon. “When did you first see Jeanne?” Rose asked, trying to make conversation.   
  
Jonathon closed his eyes, not wanting to look at the blood that was now coming out of him. He answered without thinking. “May 6.”   
  
“Eight months. That’s not a long time. Still, I guess when it’s right, it’s right, you know?”   
  
He wasn’t sure if Rose could see him, but he nodded anyway. “Yeah, yeah.”   
  
Finally, the nurse took the needle out of both of their arms and gave them a cookie and some orange juice. “Eat and drink this. It will help you from feeling woozy.”   
  
Jonathon gobbled up his cookie and drank the juice in one gulp. Rose nibbled on her’s as she asked, “How did you propose?”   
  
With loosing blood and hating that fact that he was lying to them already, Jonathon couldn’t stand answering that question. His head spun just thinking about it. Instead, he got up from the bed, and though everything in front of his eyes got blurry for a second, he kept walking to the exit.   
  
“Jonathon!” he heard Rose call out as the nurse yelled at him to stop walking. “Jonathon, come back!”   
  
She jumped off the bed to run after him, but she took two steps before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed. Jonathon, not seeing this, kept walking.   
  
~*~   
  
“Pretty snazzy room,” Jack commented as he looked around Jeanne’s hospital room. “Why does she have a television, though? She’s in a coma.”   
  
Donna smacked him on the back of the bed before sitting down in one of the chairs next to Jeanne. “Honestly.”   
  
“She might hear you,” Amy commented, looking out the window.   
  
“Actually, there has been no scientific fact on whether or not people in comas can hear what’s going on in the outside world. So, she might not hear any of this,” Rory contributed.   
  
“Thanks, honey,” Amy said, a bit sarcastic.   
  
“Maybe Jonathon could sing one of her favorite songs!” Rose said as she and Jonathon walked into the room together. The nurses helped revive Rose, who was only out for a minute or so. They gave her more cookies and juice and gave some extras for Jonathon, for when she found him. Which she did. He was outside the hospital, groaning on a bench. Assuming it was because of the blood, Rose immediately went over and handed him the cookies and juice, which he took gratefully. She didn’t know about all the other problems that were haunting his mind.   
  
“Oh, no, I couldn’t,” Jonathon said, in response to Rose’s advice. “I’m an absolute horrible singer.”  _And I don’t know her favorite song_ , he thought to himself.   
  
“Yeah, and don’t think he could really carry  _One More Night_ ,” Amy said.   
  
“Bet you have a lovely voice, though,” Jack said, with a grin. Jonathon tried to smile back, but his cookies (both literally and figuratively) were coming back up.   
  
“How is she doin’?” Rose asked, walking over to her mother who was holding Jeanne’s hand.   
  
“Same. We got the call about the blood donation. Did you guys get it as well?”   
  
“Yeah, we just came from there. You know what Jonathon told me,” she said, more to the room at large than just her mother. Since she asked a rhetorical question, she didn’t wait for a response, “He told me that he doesn’t have any photos of himself and Jeanne.”   
  
“I find that hard to believe,” Wilf said from his chair on the opposite side of where Rose and Jackie stood. “Handsome couple like that, I’m sure that they would have taken hundreds of photos together!”   
  
“Well, we didn’t,” Jonathon said, trying to gain confidence. “I mean, she wanted me to take a lot of photos of her, but not of the two of us together.”   
  
Jonathon thought he heard Rose mutter, “Typical” but when he looked over at her, she was simply staring at her mother, who said, “That sounds like Jeanne. Not about the part of not having any photo together, but rather the part of her wanting someone to take photos of herself. Jeanne always did love the camera, which loved her back.”   
  
Jonathon thought about that black and white he saw in the apartment, and couldn’t help but think that it was true.   
  
~*~   
  
It seemed like all Jonathon was ever doing was either lying to the Tyler family or running from them. Though they were a lovely bunch, he had the feeling that if they found out about all of his lies, they would come after him with pitchforks and torches. And not the battery operated ones, but rather the ones that they used to carry in the olden days. The ones with real fire.   
  
As soon as he got home, he banged his head on the wall, moaning and groaning. “What have I gotten myself into?” he muttered.   
  
There was a knock on the door. “Who is it?” he called out, not moving his head.   
  
An older woman’s voice called back. “Minnie!”   
  
He opened the door and the woman walked in, once again without being asked. “I found the perfect woman for you! Oh, Johnny, you’ll be so happy with her, I just know it!”   
  
He closed the door and followed her to the couch. “Ms Hooper–I mean, Minnie, I have told you a hundred times, I don’t need help getting a woman.”  
  
 _Especially now._  
  
“Oh everyone needs a little help, here and there, Johnny, and believe me this one is perfection! Her name is Clara, and she is a bit impossible to get a hold of, because she travels so much, but she’s just so adorable–!”  
  
Minnie was cut off when there was a knock on the door. “Who is it?” Jonathon called out.   
  
“Wilf.”   
  
“Crap,” he muttered before turning to Minnie. “Please, please, don’t bring up my being single, I beg of you. And play along, okay?”   
  
Minnie looked confused, but fascinated at the same time. “Are we playing a game?”   
  
“Sort of. Promise me you’ll play along?”   
  
She held up three fingers, like an American Girl Scout. “I promise.”   
  
He nodded and opened the door. Wilf stood there, holding his hat in his hand, and looking slightly uncomfortable, but determined all the same. “Wilf,” Jonathon said, opening the door up further, “what a surprise.”   
  
“I hope I didn’t get you at a bad time. Do you have company? I thought I heard–”  
  
“Minnie Hooper,” she said, rising from the couch and walking over to the older gentleman. She held out her hand, which he immediately took. “I’m Johnny’s neighbor.”   
  
Wilf shook her hand and said, “Nice to meet you. I’m Wilfred Mott. Jonathon’s future grandfather-in-law.”   
  
Minnie’s eyes went huge and her smile froze, but–bless her heart–she continued on without missing a beat. “Yes, of course. Johnny has told me so much about you. Now, you must excuse me, I have to be going. Johnny, I’m sure I’ll hear from you soon, right?” She asked it in such a way that he knew the moment Wilf left, Minnie would be up here demanding answers.   
  
“Yep. Of course.”   
  
She nodded at both men before closing the door on her way out.   
  
“Nice woman,” Wilf said, sitting down on the couch.   
  
“Yeah, she is. Can I get you something? Coffee? Tea? Water?”  
  
“No, no. But I did want to talk to you about something…Johnny, is it?”   
  
“No,” he replied, sitting down in one of the spare chairs. “That’s just what she calls me. No one but her calls me Johnny.”   
  
Wilf nodded. “Okay, than. Well, I want you to know something, Jonathon.”   
  
When he didn’t continue, Jonathon asked, “What is it?”   
  
Wilf took a deep breath and said, “The night you visited Jeanne, I was outside the door. I heard everything.” Jonathon’s face fell, but Wilf kept talking. “I know the truth.”   
  
Jonathon let go of the breath he was holding and leaned back in his chair. Nothing was said by either party for a few minutes. Finally, Jonathon whispered, “You must hate me.”   
  
Wilf scooted closer to Jonathon and put his hand on the younger man’s knee. “I don’t hate you.”   
  
Jonathon didn’t hear him, though. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I promise I’ll tell them everything.”   
  
“Don’t tell them a thing,” Wilf said.   
  
Jonathon looked up at the older man, confusion written all over his face. “What?”   
  
“Since the day they met you, they figured they have Jeanne back. That now, they have a part of her with them. To tell them the truth would hurt all of them, very much. And they would feel like Jeanne was once again being ripped away from them. They need you, Jonathon. Just like you need them.”   
  
Jonathon looked down at his lap, at the older man’s hand on his knee. Wilf continued. “I know you’re a good guy, and you’ll do the right thing.”   
  
Jonathon started to shake his head, but Wilf shook his arm, therefore shaking the younger man’s leg. “No–” he started, but Wilf interrupted him.   
  
“Yes, you will.” Wilf smiled and Jonathon couldn’t help but smile back. He patted the leg before standing up and walking towards the door. “See you soon, Johnny?”   
  
Jonathon smiled at him and nodded, deciding not correct the man. Wilf walked out and not two minutes later there was a knock on Jonathon’s door. He knew who it was before he even opened the door.   
  
“ _Future grandfather-in-law_?” Minnie asked with an eyebrow raised, arms crossed and tapping her foot. “I think you have a story to tell, mister.”   
  
Jonathon raised his arm to let her in, which she did, still not uncrossing her arms. She sat down on the couch and said sternly, “Start from the beginning.”   
  
He got to the part of meeting Rose and Jack the day after Christmas when there was a knock on the door. Without thinking, he swung the door open and was surprised to see Rose herself standing on the opposite side. “‘Ello,” she said with a smile. “Bad timing?”   
  
“No,” he said with a shake of his head. “It’s just…what are you doing here?”   
  
“I have an engagement present for you,” she said. However, she was lacking any form of present since there was nothing in her arms or by her feet.   
  
Minnie came to the door and her eye widen when she saw Rose. “Oh, and this is…”   
  
“Rose Tyler, meet Minnie Hooper, my neighbor” Jonathon introduced. “Minnie, this is Rose, Jeanne’s younger sister.”   
  
Minnie held out her hand and Rose shook it. “Lovely to meet you. Johnny here was just telling me about meeting his fiancée’s family.”   
  
“Oh, that’s nice,” Rose said.   
  
“I’ll just leave you too alone. Johnny, I’m sure that you will tell me the rest of that fascinating story, hmmm?”   
  
“Oh yes, Minnie, the first chance I’ll get,” he said sarcastically, though he thinks the sarcasm went over her head. Either way, she walked down the stairs, leaving Rose and Jonathon alone.   
  
“Anyway,” Jonathon said while releasing a deep breath. “Present? You didn’t need to buy me–I mean, us anything.”   
  
“Well, I didn’t, technically. My parents did. It’s furniture from Henriks, where I work. I don’t do deliveries, but since I knew who it was going to, I figured I could help. The rest of the team–which in all honesty is just two guys–are downstairs.”   
  
Leaning his one hand against the doorframe, Jonathon tried to sound casual as he said, “Oh, but you should take it to Jeanne’s house.”   
  
“You haven’t even seen it yet.”   
  
“But I bet it would look better in her apartment anyway. You should take it straight to her house.”   
  
He heard the door below him open again and Minnie’s yell, “Is she gone yet?”   
  
Jonathon looked at Rose and quickly said, “You know what? I’ll go with you.”  
  
~*~   
  
One of the two guys was someone Rose had mentioned earlier, Mickey Smith. She had commented that he was a mechanic, but apparently he also was moonlighting as a delivery man. He was a good looking man, with dark skin and dark eyes. Jonathon got the feeling that Mickey liked Rose a lot, since he kept glancing her way. The other man, named Craig Owens, was a heavy set man, who was very quiet. They rode in silence, Mickey the one actually driving. The front of the truck was kind of squished with the four of them there, but luckily Jonathon was a thin man and they could all just about fit.   
  
When they reached Jeanne’s building, Mickey pulled up extremely close to the car in front of him and turned off the engine. Craig, the person sitting on the other side, popped open the door and looked so relieved to be standing up with no one pressed against him. Jonathon, who was sitting next to him, jumped out next, while Rose got out on the same side as Mickey.   
  
They all walked around and opened the large back. “I think you parked too close to the car in front of you,” Jonathon commented as Mickey opened the back.   
  
“Had to,” he replied. “We have to unload the furniture.”   
  
Rose looked over at Jonathon and gave a smile that made Jonathon’s heart jump. He shifted in his spot. “Ready for your surprise?”   
  
Jonathon nodded as Mickey opened the back. There was a beautiful rocking chair placed perfectly near the door. It was made from cherry wood and looked absolutely gorgeous. The top had a beautiful design, almost like the inner workings of a clock, carved into it. Jonathon climbed into the truck and stared on the chair, almost stunned.   
  
“It’s brilliant!” he said, smiling as he touched the arms with his fingertips.   
  
“You like that?” Mickey asked with a smile of his own.   
  
“Yeah,” Jonathon said, almost in a whisper.   
  
“Too bad. Rose’s folks got you the love seat,” he said, patting Jonathon’s shoulder.   
  
Jonathon turned around and noticed a two seated love seat, the color of dirty water with designs of little flowers all over it. It wasn’t his taste, but it was a gift, so what could he say?   
  
“Oh, sorry,” he said, looking at Rose. She made a face that told him it was okay. He looked at the sofa. “This is brilliant too.” It really wasn’t, but it was nice of the Tylers to think of Jeanne and Jonathon.  
  
Mickey and Craig got the sofa off of the truck and put it on little wheels to help move it. They got to the door (which Rose and Jonathon were holding open, since it was a two-sided door) when an older man came running over, yelling, “Wait! Wait a minute!” Based on his clothes, Jonathon would say he was the doorman. He tried not to gulp.   
  
“What apartment is this for?” the man asked Mickey, who was on the one end of the couch. Craig had the other side and was already in the building.   
  
Rose answered before Jonathon could (thank God). “1721.”   
  
“Well, ma’am, I’m sorry, but guests have to be announced, you know.” The man wasn’t being mean, but simply stating the facts. Jonathon decided this was the best moment to push the couch in the rest of way, taking Craig, Mickey, and Rose by surprise.   
  
But Jonathon was just about all the way in (with the sofa and Craig), when Rose said, “Well, we’re with him.” She pointed to Jonathon. He tried to keep his face cool and collected. He even gave a small wave.   
  
“Who’s that?” the doorman asked.   
  
“You don’t know him?” Rose asked confused.   
  
“No. But then again, I am new here.”   
  
“Oh!” Rose exclaimed, holding out her hand. “I’m Rose Tyler, Jeanne Tyler’s younger sister. Jeanne lives in 1721. These two guys are movers for Henriks and that man is Jonathon Smith. Jeanne’s fiancé.”   
  
The man gasped and took the door that Rose was holding open. “Oh, they told me about him, ma’am.” He leaned in closer to Rose and said with all seriousness, “He’s scary.”   
  
Rose cocked her head to the side and knitted her eyebrows. “Scary?” she asked, dubious. Then she looked over at him and noticed how he was moving the sofa to the elevator, and since he was looking at them, bumped right into the wall. He fell backwards and Craig ran over to see if he was okay.   
  
She looked back at the man. “Tell me about it.”   
  
It took some maneuvering, and Rose and Jonathon went up first in the elevator, but they finally got the sofa at the apartment door. Jonathon opened the door, and Mickey and Craig tried as carefully as they could to get it in the door.   
  
“I’m just saying,” Craig groaned from holding the one end of the sofa up as he walked backwards into the apartment, “the rocking chair would have been a lot better.”   
  
“Shut up, Craig,” Mickey said, also holding up the other side of the sofa.   
  
It had to come in sideways, but the door was narrow and the love seat was big. “I think it’s wedged in,” Craig said, when it wouldn’t move.   
  
“Okay, put it down,” Mickey said, and they both did so. Bending down, he said, “I’m going to try an old trick.”   
  
“Which is?” Jonathon asked.   
  
“Push really, really hard.” Mickey disappeared under the sofa and they all waited for something to happen.   
  
“Okay, Mickey,” Rose said. “You can push.”   
  
“I did push,” Mickey said, his head popping up.   
  
Rose, who was standing next to Jonathon, put her head on his upper forearm as she gave a huge smile. Jonathon gave a chuckle too.   
  
“Do you want some help?” Jonathon asked.   
  
“I’ve got Craig,” Mickey answered, gesturing to the other man in the apartment.   
  
“Yeah, but no offense to Craig, I can climb over the couch and help you push.”   
  
“No offense taken,” Craig said.   
  
Mickey eyed Jonathon before saying, “Yeah, sure.”   
  
Jonathon climbed up onto the sideways sofa and walked as carefully as he could to the other end. Once he was on the other side, he jumped off and said cheerfully, “Ready when you are.”   
  
Rose and Craig took the one end as both men leaned down. Mickey said, “On the count of three. One. Two. Three!” One three, Craig and Rose pulled as Mickey and Jonathon pushed. The force was so great that they broke off a piece of the doorframe, Craig fell backwards, and Rose’s legs got twisted that she went hurtling right, bumping right into a vase Jeanne had that contained a lily and dyed water. The vase broke right on the clean white rug.   
  
Rose looked down in horror, and Mickey, Craig, and Jonathon all looked over her shoulder.   
  
“Well,” Jonathon said. “I think the sofa should go there.”   
  
They all agreed.   
  
Once they were back in the elevator, Rose and Jonathon started laughing about it, while Mickey and Craig hid their smiles. Rose was describing what Jeanne’s face would look like when they exited the building (and gave a wave to the doorman) and looked over at the truck.   
  
“I’m sure her eyes would just pop like this–!”  
  
“Shit!” Mickey yelled.   
  
Craig, Rose, and Jonathon all turned to him and noticed that he was looking at the truck. “Crap,” Craig said, walking over to it.   
  
Mickey had pulled up so close to the car in front of him, and the car behind them pulled up just as closely. There was absolutely no way that they could maneuver the car out of the spot. They didn’t even have an inch.   
  
“What are we going to do?” Mickey groaned. “We can’t leave the truck!”   
  
“We’re going to have to sleep here all night.”   
  
“Well, luckily it’s nine o’clock,” Rose said.   
  
“But still.” Mickey groaned and leaned against the truck.   
  
“Well, bye!” Rose said, waving and turning around to walk away.   
  
“You’re just gonna leave us here?” Mickey called out to her.   
  
She turned back and pretended to think about it. “Um, yeah. I only came along to deliver the couch for my parents. I’m not even in the delivery department.” She grabbed Jonathon’s arm and pulled him along. “I’m taking Jonathon here with me. Have fun!”   
  
“I hate you!” Mickey called out, but Rose only laughed, making it echo throughout the entire street.   
  
"We can't leave them in the cold," Jonathon stated.   
  
They stopped walking and Rose looked up at him. "You're right." Turning around, she walked back to Mickey as she handed him something. "Here. Go upstairs. Try not to ruin anything, yeah?"   
  
Mickey gleefully took the key and turned to Craig, motioning for them to go back inside. "Thanks, babe."   
  
Rose waved at him before turning back to Jonathon and they continued on down the street until Mickey couldn’t see them anymore.   
  
"That was nice of her," Craig said. "Plus that Jonathon bloke seems rather nice." He never met Jeanne, but he guess she was pretty laid back, considering her fiancé was okay with the spill.   
  
“Yeah, he does.” Mickey gave a sniff and though he was in a happy relationship, his instinct to protect Rose kicked in. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I confess that I got the idea for the game that Rose and Jonathon play from a Sarah Dessen novel named The Truth About Forever
> 
> Also, there are spoilers mentioned for Downton Abbey. Nothing major, but still if you don't want to know, read with caution.

They walked in silence. They had established that he was going to walk her home and then walk to his apartment. ( _“Why are you walking me home? I’m perfectly capable of walking home by myself.” “It’s called being a gentleman.”_ ). But they didn’t seem to know what to say to each other.   
  
“We should play a game,” Rose suggested. Apparently, she did know what to say.   
  
“What kind of game. It’s too dark to play ‘I Spy.’”   
  
“Let’s play Truth or Dare.”  
  
“Let’s not.”   
  
“How come?” She was pouting. He had to look away.   
  
“Because we are not teenage girls, nor are we at a slumber party.”   
  
“Oh, come on! Fine, how about we just play Truth, then. I won’t make you do anything ridiculous, like lick that doorway over there.”   
  
“And how to you play Truth?”   
  
“Simple. I ask you a question, you have to respond truthfully. And we go back and forth until one of us doesn’t want to give an answer. Whoever answers the last question is the winner.”   
  
“How do you know if I’m telling you the truth, though?”   
  
She shrugged. “I’ll just know. Ready?”   
  
He sighed, but saw no way out of this. “Yeah.”   
  
“Okay, I’ll start off easy, kay?” She thought for a moment before asking, “What’s your favorite color?”   
  
“Dark blue,” he answered. Easy enough. “Now I ask a question?”   
  
“Yep?”   
  
“What’s your favorite color?”   
  
“Oh, pick a different question. That’s too simple if you just repeat what I say.”   
  
“Now you’re changing the rules?”   
  
“One of the many ways to playing Truth, yes.”   
  
“I thought this was an established game.”   
  
“Shut up and ask me a question.”   
  
He thought about it. Finally, he asked, “Favorite television show?”   
  
“ _Downton Abbey_. Where did you go to school?”   
  
“Tardis Academy. What’s your guilty pleasure?”   
  
And it continued on. Back and forth they asked each other questions, the other one having to answer. In a short amount of time, Jonathon learnt that Rose won the bronze on her gymnastics team, has worked at Henriks for four years, hates her lips, received her first kiss at the age of six, and watches bad reality television every chance she gets. He told her that he loved not having any siblings, wanted to be an astronaut when he was a child, absolutely hates fishing, devours books like they are going out of style, and thinks he’s too lanky.   
  
When they were about a mile away from her apartment, the questions became more personal.  _“If you could change one feature on your face, what would it be?” “When did you lose your virginity?” “Has there been any actor or actress that made you question your sexuality?”_  
  
When she asked him how his parents died, he pressed his lips together. She immediately said, “I’m sorry, that’s too far. I should have known that you–”  
  
“My mother died of cancer when I was five. Breast cancer. It was terminal. I didn’t understand it, not for a long time, why my perfectly healthy mother was losing weight so quickly. I came home from school one day and found her collapsed on the floor. In my panic, I just started to cry. I know many people will tell you about children who immediately called for an ambulance, but I was scared. My mother was on the floor, dying and I stood there and cried.”   
  
“You were a child,” Rose murmured. “You didn’t know.”   
  
He shrugged, his balled up fists in his pants pockets. “I know. Luckily my father came home right then, saw my mother and called for help. She never came back home. I remember my father taking my hand at her funeral and telling me that it would be okay. That we would get passed it. And though my father was the best, I think a part of him died that day as well.  
  
“But he carried on the best way he knew how. Oh, my dad was the best,” he smiled as he thought back. “He would take me on these adventures that seemed like they were on other planets, but really just in our own backyard. He knew how to make the best out of every situation. He always told me these quotes, right, like they were the answers to everything. And to him, I guess they were.”   
  
“What were some of the quotes?”   
  
He looked down at her and smiled. “You can’t ask a question unless I asked you one first.”   
  
She grinned back. “I’m changing the rules. You can ask a follow up question. Now, tell me what some of his quotes were.”   
  
He shook his head, wondering–like he had the whole night–why exactly he was playing along with this. “Um, let me think.  _‘There is a little truth behind every “just kidding,”’ ‘Sometimes the heart sees what the eyes cannot,’ ‘Don’t lie to anyone, including yourself.’_  And my personal favorite,  _‘Wait for someone who will show you the world.’”_    
  
“I guess you found her,” Rose mumbled to the ground.   
  
“Yeah, I guess I did,” he said uncomfortably.  
  
“So, um,” Rose said, clearing her throat, “how did your father…I mean, what happened…?”   
  
“Heart attack. When I was twenty-one.”   
  
“I’ m so sorry.” She put her arm though his and laid her head on his shoulder. His hand fell out of his pocket, and she grabbed it, holding on tightly.   
  
“It’s just me now.”   
  
She gave his a sad smile. “There’s me.” She paused before adding, “And Jeanne, of course. And my parents, and cousins, and grandparents.” She squeezed his hand. “You’re not alone anymore, Jonathon.”   
  
And somehow, he wasn’t sure how, but somehow he knew that she was telling him the truth.   
  
~*~   
  
They arrived at Rose’s apartment complex not too long after that. The snow that had been melting all day now froze, giving the whole area a thin icy sheet. Rose insisted that he didn’t need to walk her any further, but he shrugged and said, “Walked you this far. Might as well as go the whole way.”   
  
They carefully stepped onto the ice, taking slow steps. Jonathon started to ask Rose if she was going to visit Jeanne in the morning, when Rose almost slipped, grabbing onto Jonathon at the last second. They stood perfectly still for a moment, except that he moved his foot just a tiny bit, but that tiny bit caused him to wobble and Rose wrapped her arms around him, as he did to her. There they stood, at 22 hundred hours, their arms wrapped around each other. And if Jonathon thought Jeanne smelt good, she was nothing compared to Rose. Jeanne smelt like flowers in the spring, the smell refreshing, but Rose smelt like homemade cookies, the kind you just want to cobble up because they smell delicious.   
  
They pulled back slowly at the same time, Jonathon mentally punishing himself. Why was he even  _thinking_  about how Rose smelt? It didn’t matter! Because he was marrying her sister!   
  
Well, maybe.   
  
But either way, he shouldn’t wonder how she smelt, or even acknowledge that she smelt so good.   
  
“You okay?” Rose asked, a hint of a smile on her full lips.   
  
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He pulled back a little further, trying to put some distance between them.   
  
“Okay. You can let go–” But Rose couldn’t say anymore because she somehow turned around and fell backwards onto him. Luckily, he was positioned to catch her, or they would have both gone falling backwards.   
  
However, neither of them could keep from giggling about this whole situation.   
  
“You’re gonna make me fall!” Jonathon said, a laugh escaping.   
  
“I’m trying not to!” she laughed. She turned back around, facing him.   
  
They were both bent at odd angles, since she was slowly trying to come back up to her full height, as was he, as well as keeping a firm grip on the ice underneath them. When they finally stood up straight, the laughs that were escaping quieted down and Jonathon’s heart started to race, and he knew it had absolutely nothing to do with the fear of slipping on the ice.   
  
If he didn’t know better, he would say he was in danger of falling in a totally different scenario.   
  
Rose looked up at him, her smile fading, and he desperately wanted it to return because he liked her smile and he didn't like it when she was upset and he wanted to make her laugh and he didn’t know what was happening right now. If this was a movie, and they were the leading characters, he would kiss her at this moment, because it was just too good to pass up. But this wasn’t a movie, so he didn’t kiss her, even though a small part (and by small, he meant big) of himself wanted to lean down and feel those lips that she hated against his.   
  
He felt like he was in great danger on acting on those thoughts until Rose’s eyes opened wide and her feet slipped from underneath her. And since she was clinging to him, he went down with her.   
  
Groaning on the icy ground, Jonathon moaned, “Oh, I think I ripped my pants. Or broke my butt.”   
  
Rose was trying to get up, but her feet kept slipping. “Oh, you big baby!”   
  
“My butt hurts!” he mockingly yelled. Though when a few shades in apartments opened, perhaps he realized he shouldn’t have said that part so loud.   
  
Rose was closer to the edge of the ice than he was. He scooted over to her, lying sideways, when she stood up, half on the ice, half off, and grabbed his arm and pulled. He laughed as she strained, telling himself this was crazy.   
“God, for a skinny man, you weigh a lot!”   
  
Finally, he was on solid ground and he jumped up, feeling his behind. There was a definite rip there. Jokingly, he asked, “You wouldn’t have an extra pair of jeans, you would?”   
  
“You're too tall for you to fit in my father’s clothes, and if you fit in my clothes, I would kill myself,” Rose said, half joking, as she walked to the door that led to the stairs for her apartment.   
  
He mentally saw himself wearing her pink sweater and shook his head. “Okay, okay.”   
  
She stopped walking and looked back at him. “Thank you. For walking me home tonight. And for talking. About everything.”   
  
He gave her a nod. “Thanks for listening.”   
  
“See you around?”   
  
“Not if I see you first,” he said before he could stop himself.   
  
Rose bit her lip, but he could see the corner of her mouth curling up. She gave him a nod before opening the door and running up the stairs.   
  
~*~   
  
She was walking past an apartment, closing in on her parents’, when another apartment door swung open. Donna stood there in her dressing gown. “And where were you?” she asked, crossing her arms.   
  
Rose continued walking, ignoring her. When she looked down, she could see Jonathon was slightly limping as he walked away, rubbing his behind. She gave a smile and a giggle escaped before she could help it.   
  
Donna heard the giggle and looked down as well. She knew that tall skinny bloke, even it was from behind. Her arms dropped and pity took over her harsh features. “No, Rose. Don’t do this.”   
  
Rose, smile gone, turned around, asking innocently, “Do what, Donna?”   
  
Donna walked over to her and grabbed one of Rose’s hands. “Don’t do this. He is marrying Jeanne, Rose. Jeanne. I know you don’t always get the guy, but Rose, don’t do this to yourself. You will only set yourself up for heartache.”   
  
Rose eyes grew wide as she said, “It’s not what it looks like. I was delivering furniture with Mickey. For Jonathon. And Jeanne! For Jonathon and Jeanne. It was their engagement present from Mum and Dad.” When Donna continued looking at Rose with an expression that clearly read that she didn’t believe her, Rose dropped her eyes to the ground. “I know. I know. It’s just…” she looked off to the side and though Jonathon was long gone, she looked down to the spot where they basically went ice-skating together. “He’s perfect, isn’t he? Jeanne actually managed to find the perfect guy.”   
  
Donna huffed. “Well, I don’t know about  _perfect_ …” She paused and looked at Rose. “Yeah, she did. And it would be in your best interest to stay away. We don’t need a repeat of Jimmy.”   
  
“I don’t think Jonathon would ever hurt me,” Rose said firmly.   
  
Donna shook her head. “Not intentionally. Which would be worse.”   
  
~*~   
  
“Is it possible to have an affair when you’re not technically with the one person to begin with?”   
  
Jonathon’s question was much too complicated for Martha so early in the morning. She held her cup of coffee in her hand and lightly shook her head, asking, “Huh?”   
  
“I like Rose,” Jonathon stated, sitting across from Martha and opening his window.   
  
“Who’s Rose?”   
  
“Jeanne’s sister.”   
  
“And Jeanne is your ‘fiancée’?” She said, making air quotations, even while holding her coffee.   
  
“Yes.”   
  
“And you like her sister?”   
  
“Yes. But she thinks I’m engaged.”   
  
“To Jeanne?”   
  
“Yes!” he said, turning around in his seat and lightly banging his head on the table.   
  
“Whoa! Okay, just stop!” she put her drink down and put her hand on his shoulder, comforting him.   
  
“Martha, what am I supposed to do?” he asked, sitting up straight and facing her, surprising Martha.   
  
“Tell her the truth.”   
  
“But I can’t! I won’t be able to take it if Rose was mad at me, which she will be when she finds out. And if Rose knows than she’ll tell her parents, and believe me I do not want her mother coming after me, thank you very much! And they’ll tell Donna, Rose’s cousin, who most certainly will come after me, probably with a knife! And Donna’s grandfather, Wilf–!” He paused as he remember the conversation they had the night before. “Well, actually, he already knows…”   
  
“Wait, someone knows? How? I thought you weren’t going to tell them!”   
  
“I didn’t. Not exactly. He overheard me talking to Jeanne–”  
  
“–Your fiancée, who’s in the coma–”  
  
“Right, and I told her that it was all fake, and he was listening at the door. But he told me not to tell them!”   
  
“Why?”   
  
“Because apparently Jeanne is not very close to her family, though they wished that she would be. And he–Wilf–feels that if I tell them the truth, they’ll lose Jeanne all over again.”   
  
“Jonathon,” Martha said, taking his hand in hers and speaking as though she was talking to a hysterical five-year-old, “you do not join a family. You are born into one. This family is not your family!”   
  
“That’s the thing, Martha. I feel like I am in their family now.” He sighed and looked into her eyes. “You have to tell me what to do.”   
  
“Tell them the truth.”   
  
“Except that.”   
  
Martha leaned back and sighed. “Jonathon what do you want me to say? That you should break up with your imaginary fiancée and go run off with this Rose person and live happy little lives and go on many adventures?”   
  
He cocked his head to the side and pursed his lips. “I’ve heard worse ideas.”   
  
She shook her head and muttered, “You are unbelievable.”   
  
~*~   
  
Rose was sitting in her sister’s hospital room, the lamp on in the corner as the sun was going down. She was flipping through a magazine, making off comments about advertisements or celebrities that were mentioned. Though she knew her sister wouldn’t respond, she did it anyway.   
  
“Did you hear about Dan Stevens? He left  _Downton Abbey_. Not that you watch that show, because you can’t stand time period movies or books, but he’s a major character. And I do love his character. That’s stinks, though. What do you think, sis?”   
  
Rose looked up, and though the bed was positioned so Jeanne could sit up, she still looked as though she was sleeping. She gave Rose no response.   
  
“Yeah, I know,” Rose muttered as she flipped the pages. “You could care less. ‘It’s just a television show, Rose,’” Rose said, mimicking her sister’s voice. “ _‘Why are you getting so invested in it?’_  Because it’s a good show, that’s why.”   
  
Rose looked up at her sister for a moment, before putting the magazine to the side. She leaned forward and whispered, “I have to know: how did you make Jonathon fall in love with you? What did you say or do that made him want to pledge his life to you?”   
  
Jeanne remained silent.   
  
“Because I don’t get it. And I know that I’ve always kind of been envious of you, and everyone my entire life has asked me why I can’t be more like you, but right now…” Rose shook her head. “I don’t know what I would give up to be in your shoes. To have Jonathon waiting for me…”   
  
She stopped talking and leaned back in her chair. This was pointless, and she knew it. So, clearing her throat, she grabbed the magazine off the bed where she placed it and continued flipping through it, commenting on other celebrities.   
  
~*~   
  
The following night, Jackie invited Jonathon up to the apartment for dinner, which he gladly accepted. The whole gang wasn’t there this time, only Pete, Jackie, Rose, Wilf, and Donna. Amy, Rory, and Jack, apparently all had separate plans.   
  
Jackie didn’t make as much food as she did on Christmas, but it was still a lot. And Jonathon tried to smile as he kept shoveling meatloaf into his mouth, but it certainly didn’t taste like meatloaf. He wasn’t sure what it was exactly, but it was…interesting.   
  
Jonathon noticed that Rose didn’t really eat much, but he couldn’t blame her. It wasn’t too edible.   
  
“So, Jonathon,” Jackie said, looking at him. “Did you and Jeanne talk about where you would like to go on your honeymoon?”   
  
“Go to America,” Wilf said. “Beautiful place. Such history.”   
  
“If you’re going to America, you should go to Hawaii,” Donna chimed in. “It’s very relaxing.”   
  
“We went to Paris, Jacks,” Pete said looking at his wife. “You remember?”   
  
“Of course I remember,” Jackie replied, before taking a sip of her drink. “You don’t forget your honeymoon.”   
  
Rose stayed silent, but shifted in her seat, like she was uncomfortable. Jonathon couldn’t help but notice that she was not chiming in either, as the rest of the family spoke of all the different places that he and Jeanne could go to.   
  
Somehow, and Jonathon wasn’t too sure how because he wasn’t paying too close of attention, the subject changed and Jackie turned to Jonathon asking, “Jonathon, do you think you could find a nice guy for Rose?”   
  
“Mum!” Rose yelled, embarrassed.   
  
Jonathon looked down, embarrassed as well. Mainly because the first person who popped into his head was himself. “Oh, I don’t think Rose needs any help.”   
  
“Ha!” Jackie laughed sarcastically. “You should have seen some of the men Rose has come with! Blimey, if only she could be more like Jeanne and pick a man like Jonathon–!”  
  
Before Jackie could continue any further, Rose pushed back the seat of her chair and muttered, “I need some air.”   
  
She almost ran out of the dining room, and not even grabbing her jacket, went out the door. Jonathon watched her. He wanted to jump up and go after her, but he had to make himself stay seated. He was marrying Jeanne, not Rose.   
  
And every time he thought that, his heart hurt a little bit more.   
  
But his eyes kept looking at the closed door. He played with his food more than he actually ate it, since he lost his appetite. However, when Jackie commented on Rose being gone so long, and perhaps someone should go look for her, Jonathon couldn’t help but jump up and say, “I can go. I need to get something from my car anyway.”   
  
He didn’t want to admit that he didn’t have a car, and therefore could get nothing from it, but they bought his lie and let him go after Rose. Before he walked out, though, Donna said, “You might want to start on the roof.”   
  
He knew that she was there when he reached the top of the stairs. The only door was being held open by a brick. He slowly opened the door and peaked out, seeing Rose sitting crossed-legged, leaning back and looking up at the stars.   
  
“You must be freezing,” he commented.   
  
She mustn’t have heard the door opening, because she gave a tiny jump when she heard his voice. He took off his long brown overcoat and placed in on her shoulders. She held it closer to herself, but said nothing else.   
  
He sat down next to her, copying her posture. They said nothing for a long time. Finally, Rose said, “It’s your turn.”   
  
Looking at her, he asked, “What?”   
  
Still leaning her head back, she turned to look at him. “It’s your turn to ask me a question.”   
  
“Oh!” He looked up. “Are we still playing that?” He didn’t want to sound rude, but he’s afraid that’s how he sounded. In actuality, he wanted to continue playing the game with her more than anything else.   
  
“We don’t have to,” she said, obviously thinking that he didn’t want to.   
  
“No, no. We can. Let me think…” he paused, trying to come up with a good question. “Let’s see…if you could meet anyone in history, living or dead, who would it be?”   
  
She tilted her head, thinking. “Queen Victoria. I bet she was really amazing.” Looking at him with a smile, she said, “I bet I could get her to say,  _‘I am not amused’_!”  
  
He laughed. “You would go back in time, just to hear her say it?”   
  
“No, I said I bet I  _could_  make her say it.” She grinned and placed her tongue in the corner of her mouth. He gulped. “Okay, my turn. Um…okay, if you could go anywhere, all of time and space is at your disposal, where would you go?”   
  
“I don’t know. I would want to go everywhere.” He looked up the sky and pointed. “I mean, look at it.” He gestured to the sky. “It’s so massive and huge, to pick one would be like having to choose one thing to eat for the rest of your life. There is so much out there, so much to see and discover for yourself, and I would just want to try everything. So I don’t know where I would go. But it would have to be somewhere amazing.” He looked at her. He didn’t want to ask _“Would you come with me?”_  because he was afraid of the answer. A positive would make his heart pound, a negative would make it drop.   
  
“Okay, so now I ask a question, right?” he asked.   
  
“Sometimes I really hate my sister,” Rose said, coming out of nowhere.   
  
Jonathon was surprised to hear that, but tried to keep his tone neutral. “Oh?”   
  
“I mean, my whole life has been me being measured up to her. And I just…I can never make my parents proud.”   
  
The door opened and they both turned to see Jack coming out, holding a brown bag. When he walked closer, he said, “Donna messaged me, told me that you were probably up here. Jackie bring up about how Jeanne is amazing?” Rose nodded. He sighed and sat down on the other side of Rose. “I guess it’s time for our tradition?” When she nodded again, he handed her the bag. She sat up straight and opened it, taking out a bar of chocolate and a package Jammy Dodgers.   
  
“Did you get–?” Rose asked, but before she could finish, he took a bottle of soda out of his long jacket pocket and handed to her. She smiled and said, “Jack, you’re too good to me.”   
  
“Anything for you, Sweets,” he said, grinning. He looked past her and acknowledged Jonathon. “I see you found our Rosie.” He wasn’t sure, but there was something about Jack’s tone of voice that made it sound like he wasn't surprised Jonathon would be there with Rose. Jonathon briefly wondered if Donna gave Jack a heads up.  
  
“Yeah. Donna told me she might be here.”   
  
“I used to come up here to get away from there,” Rose said, opening her soda and taking a sip. “I had to have a place that was all mine. I used to share my room with Jeanne, did you know that? I mean, you had to guess it when you saw the size of our apartment, but I couldn’t even go to my room to get away from the perfectness of Jeanne.” She opened her box of biscuits and offered to Jonathon, who took two, and to Jack, who took a couple. Taking one for herself, she said, “I’m sorry if all I do is down my sister, but I can’t seem to help it. I love her to pieces and I want her to wake up more than anything, but there has always been this tension between us. Ever since we were kids.  
  
“It’s just frustrating is all,” Rose continued after she took a bite of her biscuit. “I mean, it’s like my sister was born under a lucky star and I…wasn’t.”   
  
“You can’t look at your life like that,” Jonathon said, trying to comfort her. He wanted to reach out and rub her back, but he felt it would be a step out-of-line. Instead, he curled his fingers into him palm. “You’re very lucky. You have a house–”  
  
“And apartment I share with my parents,” Rose interjected.   
  
Jonathon continued, as though she didn’t interrupt. “A job–”  
  
“At a shop.”   
  
“Friends who love you–”  
  
She smiled and looked at Jack. “That’s true.”   
  
“And a wonderful family.”   
  
Her smile faded. “Who tolerates me, you mean.”   
  
Jonathon looked at her with wide eyes. “Tolerates? I don’t think so.”   
  
She nodded. “Oh yes. Jeanne was always the brilliant one. The one who could do no wrong.” The she said in a mocking tone, “ _‘Why can’t you be like your big sister, Rose?’ ‘Why can’t you get good grades like your sister, Rose?’ ‘Why can’t you get a job like Jeanne, Rose?’_ ” She groaned loudly. “I am so sick of hearing how my sister is better than me at everything! And now she has the perfect boyfriend!” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she blushed deeply. She looked down at her shoes, shifting a bit.   
  
Jack sighed. “Can’t argue with that.”   
  
“I’m not perfect,” Jonathon said after a few minutes of silence.   
  
“But you are,” Jack said. “You bloodied saved her life and you’re charming and funny and easy to talk to.” Jack trailed off and looked at Rose who looked like she was studying her shoes for a major exam. He looked over at Jonathon again and gave him the once-over. “Plus, you’re easy on the eyes.”   
  
Jonathon gave an embarrassed chuckle. “I can’t believe we’re talking about this.”   
  
Jack gave him a wink. “Believe it, baby.”   
  
Both Jonathon and Rose laughed. He caught her eye for a moment, but she quickly looked away.   
  
Jack leaned back. “Rose, I think you’re being too hard on yourself. You just haven’t found your place in the circle of life, that’s all.”   
  
“Thanks, Mufasa,” Rose said sarcastically.   
  
“Actually, I think it was that deranged monkey who said that,” Jack replied.   
  
“I think it was just part of the first song in the movie,” Jonathon said.   
  
“Yeah, that’s it,” Jack said.   
  
Silent, they all ate some more biscuits. Jack asked how dinner went, and Rose told him what happened. “You never answered the question,” Rose said, looking over at Jonathon.   
  
“Which one?”   
  
“Of where you and Jeanne picked for your honeymoon.”   
  
“Oh.” He picked at a piece of rubber that was coming off of his Converses. “We haven’t chosen yet,” he lied.   
  
“She would probably pick Paris,” Rose said, opening her chocolate bar.   
  
“I think America,” Jack said, opening her soda and taking a swig. “You don’t think Japan or China?”  
  
“I think she would want to go somewhere with culture that she would jump right into. Plus, in Paris, she could show off her French.”   
  
“Where do you want to go, Jonathon?” Jack asked.   
  
Not having given it any thought, because he never planned on actually go on a honeymoon, Jonathon didn’t know how to answer. “Oh, um…I don’t know. Somewhere new and exciting, I guess. I don’t know really. I would just want to…go. Jump into any culture and just…experience it all.”   
  
Rose nodded. “I can appreciate that.”   
  
“Rosie and I would often talk about running away. Especially after the prom fiasco.” He looked over at Rose, a guilty look on his face. “Oops. Sorry.”   
  
“What happened?” Jonathon blurted before he thought better of it. Then, his brain trying to cover for his mouth, he said, “I’m sorry. You don’t need to tell me–”  
  
“No, no.” Rose shifted and brought Jonathon’s coat closer to herself. “I’ll tell you. I mean, you told me all about your parents, so it’s only fair that I tell you what happened.”   
  
Both Jonathon and Jack sat quietly waiting for Rose to begin. Jack, knowing the story, leaned back and studied the stars. Jonathon, on the other hand, gave her his full attention.   
  
“Jeanne, as you may have guessed, got all the looks in our family. Looks and brain and a personality to boot. I…well, I was jealous of her when we were growing up, as you may have gathered from my non too subtle hints about how my family wished I was more like her. And when she hit puberty…it was like I was even more invisible. Everyone loved Jeanne. And the boys followed her everywhere she went. And when I hit puberty…nothing happened. Boys didn’t come knocking at my door. No one asked me to the movies. Nothing happened at all. And for years I was just known in school as ‘Jeanne’s younger sister.’ I didn’t even have a name! I was just known as her younger sister. Then her prom rolled around and every boy in school, whether they were old enough to go or not, was asking her. She was polite and always had the right answer, especially if she didn’t want to go with a guy. Because she only had her sights on one: Jimmy Stones. Oh, he was beautiful. Tall, strong, with dark brown hair that almost looked red in the sunlight and eyes so blue you could have sworn that you were looking into the ocean. And he was the bad boy, the  _Bad Boy_. And every girl wanted him, including Jeanne. Including me.  
  
“So imagine her surprise when he asked  _me_. Oh, the look on her face when he stomped across the cafeteria and said to me  _‘Do you want to go to prom?’_  I thought she would blow a gasket. Oh, she was nice about it when others asked, saying she was happy for me, but when we got home…she screamed. Yelled. Carried on. Told me how I wasn’t pretty enough for Jimmy. Not smart enough. I knew it was jealousy talking, but I was so mad I punched her in the eye. Gave her a bruise she never forgot.   
  
“Anyway, night of the prom and everything is going wonderfully. Jeanne had said yes to one of her many suitors, and he was nice and charming, but not as charming or handsome as Jimmy. And I wore a hot pink dress and Jeanne wore a dress that looked like it belonged in the 1700s, but she still looked gorgeous. And Jimmy and I danced and ate the horrible food, and drank the punch that someone put liquor into, and then he told me that he had to go to the bathroom and left me sitting at the table. Stupid me was just sitting, thinking how lucky I was, that maybe my luck was going to change when someone ran over to me and told me to come with them quick.   
  
“Thinking something happened to Jimmy, I instantly followed. Something happened alright. He was making out with my sister in the car park. I was so stunned, I didn’t know what to do. I just stood there like a numpty, and he looked at me, I mean he looked at me and said,  _‘You thought I was serious? I wanted to make her jealous.’_ ”   
  
She stopped talking, rubbing the unshed tears away from her eyes.   
  
Jonathon did not saying anything, because what could he say? Nothing was fitting enough. But, before he really thought about it, the words “Jimmy Stones is a wanker” fell right out of his mouth.   
  
Rose gave a sob-filled laugh. “Yeah,” she said with a nod. “Yeah, he is. I don’t know what happened to him after that. I like to think he’s sitting in a mobile home with three dogs because those are the only kinds of bitches that will come near him.”   
  
Jonathon couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. Rose laughed along with him. Jack gave a couple of chuckles. Once they quieted down, she said, “Jack was there too. Saw the whole thing. He took me home immediately and took care of me.”   
  
“That was the first time we met up here,” Jack said. “Or rather, the first time we sat up here together. Like Rose mentioned earlier, she came up here often. It was the first time she allowed for me to come up with her.”   
  
“So this became your tree house, so to speak?”   
  
Rose nodded. “Yeah, somethin’ like that.”   
  
They had finished the biscuits and Rose’s soda was all but gone. They looked at the sky once more, hoping to see more stars, but because of the city lights, they really couldn’t see more. Jack commented that he should go check in with her family, to which Rose warned him not to take any of the meatloaf her mother would undoubtedly guilt him into taking.   
  
After he left, Jonathon took out his phone to see the time. “Oh, gosh,” he said, not realizing how late it was. It was nearly midnight. “I should be going. I have work in the morning.”   
  
Rose stood up, his coat still around her shoulders. She did not seem in any rush to take it off, and Jonathon (God help him) didn’t exactly want her to give it back to him. At least, not yet. They walked over to the door, which luckily Jack had left opened, and walked towards the staircase, making sure the door was closed firmly behind them.   
  
They said nothing on the stairs. Rose didn’t seem surprised that Jonathon was walking her to the door, but instead just let him follow her.   
  
“Are you coming in?” she asked, once they were outside the door.   
“No thanks. Can you wish everyone a good night for me?”  
  
“Yeah, of course.” She said nothing else, just kept looking at him. After a moment, her eyes went huge and she started taking off his jacket, as though she just remembered that she was wearing it. “Oh, you might want this back, yeah?”   
  
He gave a nondescriptive noise and took it.   
  
Again, they said nothing, but continued to stare at each other. Jonathon felt the urge to kiss her, and it was so strong that he had to physically hold himself back. It was in this moment, when the lights from the outside hallway made her hair gleam like a soft halo and the freezing cold reminded him that he needed to put his jacket on, that he realized that he was actually in love with Rose Tyler, and what he thought was love for Jeanne was child’s play to what he felt for her sister.   
  
She smiled and he knew that he was done for. “Thanks again for listening.”   
  
He gave her a small smile in return. “Thanks for telling me.”   
  
“You know,” Rose said, crossing her arms to keep the cold off. “I’ve been thinking. And I’ve come to a conclusion.” Jonathon tried not to gulp. “There’s something I want to give you. Take this.” She took out her keys from her pocket and took one off and handed it to him.   
  
“What is it?”   
  
“The key to our apartment. That way you can come over anytime you want.”   
  
Jonathon looked down at this little piece of metal in his hand and felt his heart clench. “I can’t,” he murmured. He didn’t want to go into why he couldn’t, but he just knew he could not take it. To welcome him was one thing, but this was welcoming him into their lives, their home. His stomach dropped when he thought of how many times he had lied to them, how he was still lying. He couldn’t take the key.   
  
“Of course you can,” Rose said, smiling. “Take it and when you want to get away from my sister, you know you have a listening ear with me.” She sounded completely serious and Jonathon couldn’t help but accept that he was most definitely in trouble.   
  
“Rose…”  
  
“Take it, Jonathon.” She wrapped her hand around his and closed his fingers over the key.   
  
“Okay.”  
  
She gave a nod and turned to enter the apartment when he said, “By the way.” She turned back to look at him. “I would have asked you the prom, no questions asked. And I would have been proud to have you on my arm.”   
  
Tears gathered in her eyes and she reached for him, giving him the biggest hug he ever remembered receiving. His arms wrapped around her instantly, and he wanted to stay in this moment.  
  
“Thank you,” she whispered in his ear before kissing him on the cheek. “My sister is lucky to have you.”   
  
She opened the door quickly and walked in, giving him one last smile before closing the door completely.  
  
He touched his cheek lightly and looked at the closed door. “No,” he whispered. “I’m lucky to have you.”


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Martha was describing to Jonathon the class she was in the night before. Jonathon was nodding and paying attention to her, not really paying attention to the load of tokens that was coming in. Until a familiar voice said, “One token please!”   
  
He looked up and smiled when he saw Amy and Rory standing there in heavy coats, gloves, and hats. “Hey!” he said joyfully. “You want to come through?” He said, indicting the box.   
  
Amy’s eyebrows raised. “We can?”   
  
“Yeah, absolutely.”   
  
Jonathon pressed a button, and Amy and Rory walked into the small cubicle. “Martha Jones, these are friends of mine Amy Pond and Rory Williams. Amy, Rory, this is Martha Jones.”   
  
They all shook hands and made pleasantries. “How do you know Jonathon?” Martha asked.   
  
“Oh, um…” Jonathon started but Rory interrupted.   
  
“Amy is related to Jeanne Tyler, Jonathon’s fiancée.”   
  
Even though Martha knew all about Jonathon’s situation, she looked stunned to hear someone else mention it. But she covered it quickly and gave a pleasant smile. “Oh, that’s nice.”   
  
“Yeah,” Jonathon muttered, but lucky for him the train was coming in. “The train! The train. You guys are going to miss it if you don’t go.”   
  
“Oh.” Amy turned to Martha and said, “It was really nice meeting you.”   
  
“And you.”   
  
“Maybe we’ll see you at the wedding?” Rory asked.   
  
Martha gave a grin. “Yeah. Definitely.”   
  
As Amy and Rory were walking out the door, Martha looked over at Jonathon and winked. “I thought you were going to elope.”   
  
The door shut behind them as Jonathon rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right,” he said sarcastically. “We’re going to elope. You know, Martha, sometimes I hate you.”   
  
Knowing he was joking, Martha gave a huge laugh.   
  
~*~   
  
In Jeanne’s apartment, the phone rang once more and once again an answer phone picked up.   
  
 _“You’ve reached Jeanne Tyler. Leave a message after the tone.”  
  
“Hi baby,”_ the same male voice as before said into the phone. Only this time he sounded much more angry.  _“Is this thing working? Because I left you a message before, and you didn’t call me back. You know how much I hate it when you don’t call me back.  
  
“Anyway, I’m back in London, and I really want to meet. We’ve got a lot to discuss. Like our wedding! Also, I want to know how Toclafane is doing.   
  
“Call me back. Now.”_   
  
~*~   
  
It was New Years, a week since Jonathon had saved Jeanne’s life, and the Tyler family was sitting in their apartment with Jack, Donna, and Wilf. Rose, and Jackie were sitting on the couch watching the horror film,  _Are You My Mummy?_ , that made them scream. Jack, Wilf and Pete were talking at the table, an open box of pizza in front of them. The ladies all had drinks in front of them, but when the little boy popped out on screen wearing a gas mask that had been stitched onto his face and asked “Are you my mummy?” all three drinks went flying as the women screamed.   
  
“Why are you watching a movie that makes you scream that much?” Pete asked as Jack when to get towels for them.   
  
“It’s good!” Donna said, taking the towel from Jack and drying herself off. “Scary as hell, but good!”   
  
“And you know it’s our tradition to watch a movie that no one in the family has seen before.”   
  
“Yeah, but I figured you would pick that movie. You know, that new flick that just came out.”  
  
“ _The Girl in the Fireplace_?” Rose asked, wiping her pants.  
  
“Yeah, that one.”   
  
“The main actress is horrible. I’ve heard she’s really mean,” Jackie said, grabbing the bowl of popcorn and taking a handful.   
  
“Plus it’s so corny. The trailer looks horrible,” Donna commented, taking the bowl from Jackie.   
  
Amy and Rory came running into the apartment at that point. Both had red faces, from running and from the cold air. “Do we have news for you!” Amy said happily.   
  
“Oh?” Jackie said, leaning forward. She handed the remote to Rose, silently asking her to pause the movie.   
  
“We just found out that Jonathon and Jeanne were going to elope!” Amy yelled.   
  
Whatever the family was expecting, it wasn’t that. Jack and Donna both looked at each, not sure how to respond. Wilf walked into the kitchen, sadly shaking his head. Pete and Jackie both looked at Amy and Rory, certain that they had heard wrong. And Rose sat there, stunned, looking at her lap.   
  
“Elope?” Jack asked.   
  
“Why were they gonna to do that? Don’t they want us to be at their wedding?” Pete asked.  
  
“Doesn’t Jeanne want her family there?” Jackie asked, obviously hurt.   
  
“Where did you hear that?” Donna asked.   
  
Amy looked uncertain, since this wasn’t the reaction she expected. “Martha, Jonathon’s coworker told us. I mean, she said to Jonathon that she was certain that he was going to elope.”   
  
The family all talked to each other, one speaking over the other, trying to figure out why Jonathon never mentioned this and why they wanted to do it the first place.   
  
Nobody noticed Rose get up and get her coat, walking right out the door.   
  
~*~   
  
Jonathon was tying his shoes, getting ready to go to Martha’s house for her annual New Year’s Eve party. It was more of a everyone she knew hanging out, but he always enjoyed himself and looked forward to an evening when he didn’t have pretend to be someone he’s not.   
  
He just leaned back when there was a knock on his door. “Who is it?” he called out.   
  
“Minnie.”   
  
He went to the door and opened it up. Minnie Hooper was standing there in a beautiful deep burgundy dress, obviously going to a New Year’s party of her own. In her hand was a bottle of wine.   
  
“Here, I got this for you,” she said, handing him the bottle.   
  
“What? Why?”   
  
She shrugged. “I figured you would need liquid courage to get through this year.”   
  
He gave a sad chuckle. “Yeah, I guess.”   
  
Minnie walked into the apartment and sat down next to K-9 who just laid down. Jonathon hoped that the water dripping from his mouth was from his water bowl and not some another bowl he was known to drink out of.   
  
“I wanted to talk to you about something,” Minnie said, looking at Jonathon and petting K-9.   
  
He closed the door and leaned against it. “Yes?”   
  
“This girl that was over a couple of days ago. Rose? She was over last night, was she not?”   
  
Jonathon shifted his feet. “Yeah, yeah, she was.”   
  
“And the reason being…?”   
  
“I forgot my scarf at their house. She brought it over for me.”   
  
Minnie’s eyebrows raised, but not because she was shocked. More like she didn’t believe him. “Because of your scarf?”   
  
He nodded. “Yeah. Why?”   
  
“And who is this young woman again?”   
  
“Jeanne’s younger sister. Jeanne is the woman who everything thinks I’m engaged to.”   
  
She nodded. “Yes, yes. You mentioned that story to me. And this woman, the sister, came over for no reason other than to give you the scarf?”   
  
“Yeah.”   
  
“Jonathon, I have seen the way you look at this woman.” She leaned forward like she was giving the best advice in the world, and he should be taking notes. “You look at her the way you should be looking at your fiancée.”   
  
“I know, Minnie. I know. It’s complicated.”   
  
“It’s not that complicated. I’ll show you.” She cleared her throat and asked point black, “Do you love her?”   
  
He didn’t even think. “Yes” popped out of his mouth so quickly, it was like he was waiting for someone to ask him.   
  
“There you go. Problem solved.”   
  
He rolled his eyes. “No, problem is not solved. This just makes everything more complicated. Everyone thinks that I’m engaged to her sister! Who’s in a coma!”  
  
“But she’s not walking and talking now,” Minnie pointed out, like it was the most logical thing in the world.   
  
“Minnie,” Jonathon said, almost disgusted that she said that. “You can’t cheat on someone who is in a coma.”   
  
“What cheat? You never even had a conversation with this woman. Go with the sister.”   
  
He rolled his eyes, not wanting to get into how very wrong it was to just dump someone when they were in a coma. However, since he wasn’t actually engaged to Jeanne, nor did he ever date her, he could dump her since she was never his to begin with. But it still felt wrong, since everyone else felt that they were together.   
  
“Minnie, I really don’t have time for this, okay?” Jonathon walked away from the door, grabbing his coat that he had slung over one of his chairs. “I’m going to a party.”   
  
“Is Rose going to be there?” Minnie asked with a wink.   
  
Jonathon put his long brown coat on and sighed. “No.”   
  
“Oh.” Minnie stood up and walked to the door. “Well, you should find her and kiss her. The midnight kiss is the most important kiss of all! It sets the tone for the rest of the year.”   
  
“Yeah,” he said, not believing her, but wanting to be polite. “I’ll remember that.”   
  
Minnie walked down one flight of stairs with Jonathon, but then she walked into her apartment, claiming that she had to finish getting ready for a party. Jonathon continued down the stairs and bounded out of the doorway, almost bumping into Rose who looked like she was pacing in front of the stoop.   
  
“Rose,” Jonathon said, surprised to see her. Her hair was in a messy ponytail and she was wearing jeans, sneakers, and her black coat. She didn’t seem to be going to a party. But he wondered why she was walking outside of his apartment building at night. “What are you doing here?”   
  
“Oh,” Rose stammered. “Oh, I was just…I was just in the area, and I thought…” Looking him over, and noticing the bottle of wine he had grabbed as he ran out the door–a different bottle of wine than the one Minnie just gave him–Rose asked, “Are you going somewhere?”   
  
“Yep,” he said, popping the ‘p.’ “My co-worker who is a good friend of mine always has a New Year’s party. You want to come?”   
  
Shaking her head, she said, “No. No, I can’t. I mean, I’m not dressed for a party.”   
  
Waving his hand to dismiss her, he said, “Believe me, Martha could care less what you wear. Besides, it’s not a fancy party. It’s casual. Very casual. Please come. I know Martha wouldn’t mind.”   
  
Rose thought about it for a moment before saying, “Yeah. Sure.”   
  
Smiling, he took her hand and lead her down the street. “Martha actually lives three blocks over, so it’s not a long walk.”   
  
“I don’t mind.”   
  
He and Rose continued down the street, and only then did he realize he was still holding her hand. And he knew he should let go. He knew that it was wrong, this was Jeanne’s sister who had been hurt by other men who were interested in Jeanne. The thing was was that though he only got into this situation because of the misunderstanding with Jeanne, he was falling in love with Rose. And while he was certain that Jeanne was lovely and as wonderful as he used to imagine, Rose was real. Rose was…well, she was everything he had always hoped to find in a woman. She was smart, funny, very intelligent. And beautiful to boot. She and Jeanne didn’t share many features, just the light hair and the same chin, but Rose had a kind of beauty you just didn’t find easily.   
  
But he didn’t want to hurt her. That was the last thing in the world he ever wanted to do. He just didn’t know how he could get out of this situation without hurting everyone, most of all Rose.   
  
They continued to walk in silence, which was odd for them. Between the both of them, they could keep a conversation going. And ever since they started that Truth game, they never stopped talking. Though they tried not to play when they were around family, sometimes they did anyway, simply because they liked playing it. It was secret between the two of them, and they each had their own personal reasons for keeping it under lock and key.   
  
Jonathon looked at Rose from the corner of his eye. She looked like she was trying to figure out something and she didn’t like her end results. “Is everything alright?” he asked.   
  
“What? Oh, yeah. Yes, everything’s fine.”   
  
“You sure? You’re awfully quiet.”   
  
“‘m fine.”   
  
He didn’t believe her. “Okay.”   
  
They were almost at Martha’s house when Jonathon asked her again is she was okay.  
  
“I’m fine, Jonathon!” she said in a tone that specifically meant she was not fine.   
  
“You’re just acting weird.”   
  
“I am not.”   
  
“Yes, you are.”   
  
They reached the front door and Jonathon rang the doorbell. The music, while loud, was not ear piercing and there was a rumble of voices. Rose looked at Jonathon and said, “When were you going to tell us?”   
  
Jonathon looked down at her confused. “What?”   
  
Just then Martha swung open the door. “Jonathon, you made it!” she noticed Rose and her eyebrow went up. It went up even further when she saw them holding hands. Jonathon quickly dropped her hand and rubbed the back of his neck. “And who is this?” Martha asked, knowing full well who it was.   
  
“Martha, Rose Tyler. Rose, Martha Jones.”   
  
“Hello Rose!”   
  
“Pleasure,” Rose muttered. Jonathon knew that she had to have something on her mind, but for the life of him he couldn’t figure out what.   
  
“Well, come in! Come in!”   
  
Someone Jonathon didn’t know took off both his and Rose’s coat and said they were going to put it in Martha’s room. The house was full of people, some that Jonathon recognized form previous parties, and Martha offered to get them a drink. Jonathon asked for any kind of soda, but he was surprised when Rose asked for a beer.   
  
Martha went to get the drinks, and someone Jonathon recognized but couldn’t remember her name, said, “So, Jonathon, I hear you’re getting married!”   
  
Tugging on his ear, Jonathon said, “Yeah. Yeah, that’s the rumor.”   
  
The woman turned her eyes to Rose. “Well congratulations!”   
  
Rose looked confused and asked, “What for?”   
  
Now the woman looked confused. “Aren’t you his fiancée?”   
  
“No. I’m the fiancée’s sister.”   
  
The woman looked even more confused. “Oh. Right. Of course.”   
  
“So, Jonathon, when’s the wedding?” Another woman Jonathon recognized but couldn’t remember her name, said, sliding up to Unknown Woman Number 1.   
  
“As soon as Jeanne wakes up,” Rose mutters.   
  
“Rose, what is going on?”   
  
Ignoring the two women in front of them, Rose turned to Jonathon and said hotly, “Why didn’t you tell us?”   
  
“Tell you what?”   
  
“That you and Jeanne were planning to elope!”   
  
Jonathon’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion when Martha brought them the drinks. “What’s going on guys?”   
  
However, both Jonathon and Rose ignored her.   
  
“Elope?” Jonathon said, as though he had never heard of that word in his life. “What?”   
  
“Is everything alright?” Martha asked, worried.   
  
Rose shook her head and headed towards the door. “Rose!” Jonathon shouted over the music and noise of everyone talking. Turning to Martha, Jonathon kissed her on the cheek and apologized. “I’m sorry, Martha, but I gotta go.”   
  
Rose was three houses down by the time Jonathon reached her. “Rose, wait up! Please, stop and talk to me!”   
  
“What is going on?” she said, turning around to face him. “Were you or were you not planning to elope with my sister?”   
  
“No!” he shouted more loudly than he intended. A few people passing by glanced over at them. He lowered his voice and said, “No, we were not.”   
  
“Amy told us you were.”   
  
“Well, Amy heard wrong.”   
  
“She said your friend Martha told her.”   
  
“What?” It seemed like Jonathon could not follow anything that was coming out of Rose’s mouth. Everything she said just made him even more confused. “When did she say that?”   
  
“Earlier today.”   
  
Realization finally dawned on him and Jonathon yelled, “Ohhh!” Shaking his head he said, “No, Martha was teasing me. It was a joke.”   
  
Rose raised an eyebrow. “A joke?”  
  
“Yeah. You believed her? Amy, I mean.”   
  
Rose shrugged. “I had no reason not to believe her.”   
  
“Rose, it was just a misunderstanding, that’s all.”   
  
She gave a nod, like she didn’t believe him. “Okay.”   
  
“What’s going on? This is not like you.”   
  
She looked at him harshly. “Like you know anything about me.”   
  
Stunned, he took a couple of steps back. “You’re right.” He turned and started walking towards his apartment building. He felt like he did know a lot about Rose, but most of that was just surface stuff. Like her favorite book ( _A Christmas Carol_ ) and her favorite movie ( _Love Actually_ ) and her favorite food ( _“Chips, hands down”_ ). Though she did tell him about the whole prom fiasco, maybe he didn’t know her as well as he thought he did.   
  
He heard her sigh and she called out for him.   
  
“No,” he said, putting his hands in his pockets and continued walking quickly, her trailing, trying to catch up. “No, you’re right. I don’t know too much about you.”   
  
“I’m sorry. I am,” she said, just a few steps behind him. “It’s just this whole thing with you and Jeanne…I don’t know. It just seems kind of fast, that’s all. I mean, you’re not even her type!”   
  
Jonathon turned around, getting frustrated at Rose, but even more so with himself. However, now he was taking it all out on her. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t help it. “And whose type am I?” Rose stopped walking and bit her lip. That was enough of an answer. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”   
  
“No, I didn’t mean…” Rose didn’t finish her thought before she groaned with frustration. “I’m sorry, okay? It’s just everything is muddled up right now.”   
  
“Muddled up?” Jonathon said, with a bit of a sarcastic chuckle. He didn’t even know where to begin to tell her that things were ‘muddled up.’ He had the textbook definition of ‘muddled up’ happening in his life at this very moment. “You know what, Rose? I’ve had a really lousy Christmas. You managed to ruin my New Years. If you come back on Easter, you can burn down my apartment.”   
  
Jonathon started walking away and Rose quickly followed. “Come on, Jonathon.”   
  
“What, Rose? What do you want?” He stopped walking and turned back to her.   
  
Her facial features were much softer as she said, “I just want you to be happy.”   
  
“And what are you? The Happiness-Guru? Are you happy, Rose?” She sighed and looked away. Jonathon, however, could not stop talking and just babbled on. “I know how much you envy your sister and you think that your family doesn’t notice you. I know how you think you’re just invisible, or how you want to get away from them!”   
  
Rose got her back up with that. She stood straighter, and though she was a head shorter than him, leaned her head back to look him in the eye. “What do you know about my family? Spending a week with them hasn’t made you an expert.”   
  
“Spending a lifetime with them hasn’t made you one either.”   
  
Jonathon turned around, walking faster than before. Rose, however, refused to give up. “I know that keeping your family happy can get complicated. Would your parents be happy knowing that you work in a train booth, planning for a life that you may never actually achieve?”  
  
Though he didn’t stop, Jonathon did slow down. Rose was able to catch up and walk next to him, slightly huffing. Jonathon rubbed the back of his neck. “No. No, they wouldn’t. You’re right.” He stopped walking and looked at her. “But you have no idea what it’s like to be alone.”  
  
“You have Jeanne,” Rose said softly.   
  
He looked at her in the eye. “I don’t have anybody.”   
  
He remembered Rose telling him that he had her and her whole family, and at the time he felt like she was speaking the truth. But in all honesty, he was just lying to himself and hoping that one day he would actually believe it.   
  
He turned and continued walking down the street as the nearby houses rang out with “Happy New Year!” Rose watched him go, perplexed.   
  
~*~   
  
The hospital nurses were gathered around their station, glasses filled with sparkling apple cider singing  _Auld Lang Syne_. As they were welcoming the new year, clinking their foam cups together and making resolutions that were not going to be kept in 24 hours time, Jeanne Tyler shifted her head on her pillow and slowly opened her eyes.   
  
~*~   
  
A little after one a.m., Jonathon’s cell phone rang. It was lucky that he was awake, because he is such a deep sleeper, he wouldn’t had heard it if he was tight asleep. But his mind refused to calm down. He just kept replaying the conversation he had with Rose over and over again in his mind.   
  
Rose claimed that he didn’t know much about her, and at the time he agreed. But as he thought about it on his way home, the more he realized that perhaps he does know her pretty well, considering they have only known each other for a week. Besides the basic stuff, he knew that she was completely envious of the life her sister led and very much wanted to have the freedom she found. He also knew–though she would deny it–that her family loved her very, very much and wanted her to be happy, more than anything else. Jack and Donna seemed to have her back; at least, that’s how Jonathon saw it.   
  
But he couldn’t believe that he snapped at her. Told her that she ruined his holiday, when all she has done for him in the past week is brighten this pathetic thing he called a life.   
  
He was still mentally beating himself when his phone went off; the hospital, telling him to get there immediately. He never moved so quickly, and in his blind panic hoped that it had nothing to do with Rose. Though if it was Rose, one of the other family members or Jack would call him, not the hospital. Still, that weighed a bit on his mind as he got on the train to get to the hospital.   
  
Running to the elevators, Jonathon was glad no one stopped him. As he got off and onto the main floor, he saw Pete up ahead, pacing. Running over, Jonathon said, “Pete! What happened? The hospital just called me and told me to come immediately.”   
  
“It’s Jeanne!” Pete said, relief flooding into his voice. “She’s awake!”   
  
Jonathon’s first instinct was to run as fast and as far as he could. He gave a nervous chuckle as his eyes opened wide. “That’s great!”   
  
“Come on! I know she’s probably dying to see you!”   
  
 _Wouldn’t count on it_ , Jonathon thought as Pete gently but firmly took him by the elbow and guided him into the room.   
  
Amy and Rory stood by the windows, still in their jim-jams, with coats just thrown over. Jack stood by the door, his arms crossed, but a grin appearing nether-the-less. Donna stood behind Wilf who was sitting in the chair next to Jeanne. Jackie was on the other side of the bed, holding Jeanne’s hand, tears coming down her cheeks, but a smile huge across her face. Jonathon noticed that Rose wasn’t there. He didn’t have time to think about that, however, because Pete brought Jonathon over to Jeanne. She had her eyes closed, but he couldn’t tell if she was sleeping or simply resting.   
  
When Jackie saw Jonathon, she gave a smile and used her other hand to gently shake Jeanne’s right shoulder. “Jeanne. Wake up. Look who’s here?”   
  
Jeanne had a bit of color in her cheeks. And her hair was not styled perfectly, the way he was used to seeing it. But when she slowly opened her eyes and looked around, Jonathon could see the beautiful blue eyes that made him fall for her in the beginning.   
  
She looked over at Wilf and Donna, who gave her a small wink and wave, respectfully. She noticed Amy, Rory, and Jack, all who moved closer to the bed and gave smiles. She noticed her father, who gave a happy smile, but her eyes stopped on Jonathon.   
  
“Who are you?”


	7. Chapter 7

“Amnesia is not unlikely in this type of situation. Transient amnesia is memory loss that is localized in patches. Limited to isolated events.”   
  
Dr. Thomas Connelly paused and looked at the family in front of him. Jackie and Pete were holding hands, while the rest of the family looked concerned and very much worried. Jonathon, however, stood off to the side, his head resting on the doorframe and wishing that he was somewhere–anywhere–else.   
  
As soon as Jeanne asked Jonathon who he was, the group–with the exception of Jonathon–gasped. For how could she not remember her fiancé? Though Jonathon (and Wilf) knew the truth, Rory muttered, “She must have amnesia.”   
  
However, before Jeanne could say anything else, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she went back to sleep.   
  
But the family demanded answers. They wanted to know why she could remember everyone else, but not remember Jonathon. That’s when they found Dr. Connelly and asked him to explain.   
  
If Jonathon’s stomach wasn’t tied up in knots, he probably would wonder where Rose was. But he couldn’t think about her right now. He had to figure out a way out of this mess.   
  
“Selected amnesia?” Jackie asked, skeptical.   
  
“Exactly,” Dr. Connelly answered.   
  
Jonathon couldn’t take anymore. He stood straight and said, “I’m sorry, but I need to tell you something that is really important.” The gang all turned to him, giving him their full attention. Without looking towards Wilf, Jonathon continued, “Jeanne and I were never–”  
  
“Going to elope?” Jackie asked, more hopeful.   
  
“Huh?” Jonathon asked, confused.   
  
“We know,” Pete said, as everyone gave a nod. “Rose told us.”   
  
Rose herself entered the room that the family was in, and simply walked past Jonathon like they didn’t have an argument just two hours earlier.   
  
“So, Jeanne’s come out of it?” Rose said going right to her mother, who gave her a hug.   
  
“Oh, Sweetie! I’m so glad you’re here! Where were you?”   
  
Rose leaned back, and not looking at anyone, just shrugged. “Out.”   
  
“Excuse me, Dr. Connelly.” A young man about twenty-five poked his head into the room. “Miss Tyler is up again.”   
  
“Let’s go,” Pete said.   
  
They walked to the door, Wilf trailing behind. Jonathon didn’t know if he should go in or not. He was so close to telling them the truth, and now he had to wait again. But maybe Wilf could help him through this predicament.   
  
“Wilf!” Jonathon said, drawing out his name.   
  
Wilf immediately put his hands up and said, “Now, Jonathon, let me handle this. I am too old and too good to them for them to kill me. I’ll take care of it. I’ll do it right away.”   
  
Taking Jonathon’s elbow lightly, the two men walked towards Jeanne’s room. However, Jonathon, wrapped up in his thoughts and guilt, didn’t noticed that Wilf let go of his arm and in fact went in a different direction all together. Jonathon didn’t notice, however, until he reached the room and noticed no one beside him.   
  
“How are you feeling, Sweetheart?” Jackie asked, sitting in a chair next to the bed.   
  
“I don’t know,” Jeanne responded with a small laugh. “Everything feels different!”   
  
They all looked up when Jonathon took a step into the room. He tried to back out quietly, but it was too late. Rose looked over at him before looking back at her sister. “You must remember Jonathon, yeah?”  
  
Jeanne looked over at him, but Jonathon just gave a small smile, knowing that Jeanne would not recognize him. Therefore it was no surprise when she looked back at the family, confused. “Should I?”   
  
“Look closely,” Pete said.   
  
Jeanne looked back over at Jonathon, but again no recognition passed across her face. Jonathon’s heart was pounding, mainly because he knew that the family would find out his horrible secret.   
  
“He looks a little familiar,” Jeanne finally said, though she sounded unsure.   
  
“I think it coming back,” Rory said, smiling.   
  
“What is?” Jeanne asked. She almost looked panicked.  
  
“I think so!” Jackie said happily.   
  
“Why? What’s coming back?” Now Jeanne really sounded like she was panicking. “Tell me!” she demanded. “Tell me what!”   
  
“You have amnesia,” Pete said.   
  
Jeanne looked shocked. “I do?”   
  
“Jeanne, you’re engaged!” Donna answered.   
  
“To who?”   
  
“To Jonathon!” Amy said.   
  
“Jonathon?” Jeanne asked, like she never heard of the name before. The man himself looked out the door, trying to figure out if he should just bolt or go look for Wilf and demand to know what his angle is. “Who’s Jonathon?”   
  
“You don’t remember, do you?” Jackie asked.   
  
Just then, the young man who told the family that Jeanne was awake walked back into the room carrying a tray. “Excuse me. We have some jello for you today.”   
  
Jeanne looked at the dessert and again looked panicked. “Do I like jello?”   
  
Pete and Jackie nodded as Dr. Connelly who was standing next to Jeanne the whole time, spoke up. “I think she’s had enough excitement for one evening. I think it’s time you all went home.”   
  
“Bye, Sweetheart,” Pete said.   
  
“Bye, honey.” Jackie leaned down and kissed her daughter on her forehead.   
  
“Bye, Mum.” As they walked out the door, Jeanne looked down at her lap. “Mum. That’s my mum.”   
  
They were walking towards the elevator when out of the corner of his eye, Jonathon saw Wilf walking back towards the room. He quickly walked over and demanded to know, “Where were you?”   
  
“What? I’m not allowed to go to the bathroom?”   
  
Jonathon had to resist the urge to stomp his foot. “Wilf!”   
  
“I will handle it. I will tell them.”   
  
“When? On our Golden Anniversary?”   
  
Jonathon had enough. This time it was Jonathon would took Wilf’s elbow, and he didn’t let go.   
  
Back in the room, Jeanne looked around the room, trying to remember basic things. “ _A, B, C, D, E, F, G_ ,” she started singing to herself.   
  
~*~   
  
When they got to the parking lot, however, Jonathon told the family that he didn’t drive and that he would call for a taxi and wait in the lobby. Jackie insisted that one of them drive him home, but then she realized that all the cars were full. Except one.   
  
“Yeah, sure,” Rose said, taking out her keys and giving them a jingle. “I can take Jonathon home.”   
  
The ride, however, was so uncomfortably quiet that Jonathon started wishing they would crash, just for some excitement. The only time they talked was when he told her where to make the turn.   
  
He hated every minute of that long car ride. He wanted to play Truth with her and make fun of stupid things and just talk. But he didn’t know what to say, and apparently neither did she.   
  
After what felt like years, they finally pulled up in front of his apartment building. She put it into park, but didn’t turn off the engine.   
  
They both looked at that their laps. Finally, Jonathon said, “Thanks, Rose. For everything. You’ve been brilliant this past week.”   
  
She gave a sarcastic chuckle. “Like when I accused you of not telling us about you eloping?”   
  
Jonathon gave a sad chuckle. “Yeah, except for that.” He cleared his throat before saying, “Listen, Rose, starting tomorrow everything is going to be different.”   
  
Rose looked at him before looking back down and sifting in her seat. “Yeah.”   
  
“I just want you to know that you have become…” Jonathon paused, not sure how to finish that thought.  _The woman my father always told me to meet? The woman who can show me the world? The woman whose hand I want to hold for the rest of my life?_  Looking up at her, he finished, “A really good friend.”   
  
Each word was like a punch in the gut.  
  
Rose looked towards him, making a face that he didn’t quite understand. It was almost like she wasn’t happy with that title, but she just couldn’t tell him why.   
  
Jonathon nodded and opened the door. Rose looked at the wheel and muttered, “Friend,” like it was the most disgusting word. Before Jonathon could close the door, however, Rose leaned towards him saying, “Jonathon, wait.”   
  
He stopped, opening the door a bit more. “I just wanted to say…I’m sorry, about what I said about you and Jeanne. I think you guys are…are perfect for each other. And you’ll be a terrific…terrific couple. And um,” she looked down before looking back up at him. “I’m glad you won’t be alone anymore.”   
  
Jonathon gave a slight nod, before saying, “Good-bye,” and shutting the door.   
He took a couple of steps away before Rose put the car into drive and drove off, wanting so much to look back but resisting the urge.   
  
Jonathon stood there for a few minutes, silently yelling at himself. The words that kept popping up were  _“How could you?”_  and  _“You’re an idiot!”_    
  
Silently, he walked towards his apartment, hoping that he could somehow get himself out of this mess.   
  
~*~   
  
When Rose got back from dropping Jonathon off, her parents were already in their room, tight asleep. But she couldn’t even rest. Every time she tried to close her eyes, Jonathon’s face would pop up in her mind. And it just hurt, knowing that her sister was really going to get the best. Because that’s what Jonathon was: the best. He was absolutely perfect, so of course he wanted her sister.   
  
By five o’clock, Rose was filled with energy and now anger. Anger at herself, at her sister, even a little at Jonathon for being so bloody perfect. She changed out of her pajamas and decided to go running, hoping that would help release some of her frustrations. And it did. A bit. Kind of. Well, truthfully, not really, but she was on the right path.   
  
When she came back home, she noticed her father sitting at the table drinking some coffee while reading the paper. He was still in his jim-jams, so she knew that he mustn’t have woken up too long ago.   
  
“Rose? That you, honey?”   
  
Rose walked towards the dining room, saying, “Only me.”   
  
“Come, sit down. I feel like we haven’t talked in a long time.”   
  
Rose sat down next to her father, who passed her his cup of coffee. She shook her head, but leaned across for the muffin that was by his elbow.   
  
“Warning you, that’s low fat bran muffin.” Rose, who had a piece going towards her mouth, lowered it. “I know. Your mother is afraid I’ll have a heart attack and therefore is making me eat healthier. But I wish she could find something that doesn’t taste like cardboard.”   
  
Fixing the paper in front of him, Pete continued, “God, what a week, huh? I mean, you work hard, you try to support your family, and for one minute everything is going the way it should. And it’s so peaceful. Everyone’s happy, everyone’s healthy. It’s the way things should always be.”  
  
“Dad,” Rose said, leaning forward in her chair. “This isn’t that minute.”   
  
Knitting his eyebrows, Pete asked, “What do you mean?”   
  
Rose opened her mouth, ready to say something, but at last minute changed her mind. “No, nothing. Forget it.”   
  
Pete placed his hand over hers. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”   
  
Rose looked up at him and asked, “Are you proud of me?”   
  
Stunned, Pete sat back in his chair. “What?”   
  
“Are you proud of me? Or am I always going to live in Jeanne’s shadow?”   
  
“Rose, honey, I am very proud of you. Any father would be. Hell, any parent would be. Rose, you are an amazing, wonderful, beautiful young woman. Why would you think I’m not proud of you?”   
  
Rose shrug. “I just look at Jeanne’s life–”  
  
“Now stop right there. Do not, ever, compare your life to Jeanne. You two are two separate people and should never be compared. You may not be a lawyer, sweets, but you are still my Rose Tyler, the bravest girl I have ever met.”   
  
Tears sprung in her eyes as she looked at her father. “Really?”   
  
“Absolutely. And if anyone says differently, well, send them my way. I’ll have a few choice words with them.”   
  
Rose stood up and hugged her father. “Thanks, Daddy.”   
“Anytime, Rosie.” He leaned back and kissed her on the forehead. “I love you very much, and so does your mother. And I’ll let you in on a secret.” He whispered into her ear, “You were always my favorite.”   
  
Rose gave a laugh and hugged her father closer.   
  
~*~   
  
“20, 17, 42, my high school locker combination. My birthday is December 29. I got my first kiss when I was thirteen,” Jeanne remembered proudly to her mother and Amy who were sitting on the bed, both facing her.   
  
“You have to remember Jonathon,” Amy said.   
  
Jeanne continued, ignoring Amy. “I got my license when I was nineteen. When I was seventeen I broke my ankle trying to do the Tango in six inch heels.”   
  
Wilf walked into the room, listening to Jeanne.   
  
“You love Jonathon,” Jackie said firmly. She then gave a slight shrug. “You just…don’t remember.”   
  
“3.97 grade point average from college. Went for my law degree. Graduated summa cum laude.”   
  
“Can I talk to Jeanne alone?” Wilf asked.   
  
“Everything okay, Wilf?” Amy asked.   
  
“I was prom queen,” Jeanne continued, either not realizing that no one was paying any attention to her or simply not caring.   
  
“I just want to talk to her,” Wilf answered, saying no more than that.   
  
“Fine, fine,” Jackie said, getting up from the bed and patting Jeanne’s leg lovingly. “See you in a mo, Sweetheart.”   
  
Amy got up as well and waved as they both left the room, leaving Jeanne and Wilf alone.   
  
“I love you very much, you know that, right?” Wilf said, standing at the foot of the bed.   
  
Jeanne got the impression that what he was saying was extremely important. She shifted in her seat and listened. “Yeah. Of course.”   
  
“You had a good childhood, growing up with family that loves you and parents who would kill for you. You got a very good education and you know you are one of the best lawyers in the field. You have always been popular among your friends, and everyone know how beautiful you are.” Jeanne blushed with pride.   
  
But Wilf wasn’t finished.  
  
“But Jeanne…you’re a numpty.”   
  
Jeanne’s small smile faded as she looked at the older gentleman. “Excuse me,” she said, certain that she misheard him.   
  
“You are my family, Jeanne. And I love you so very much. But I need to tell you that you…well you’re a numpty.”  
  
“Wilf,” Jeanne said, clearly done with this conversation. “Is there a point to this?”   
  
Wilf moved around the bed and sat at the end of it. “Jonathon!” After a moment, he continued. “You see there is something you need to know about him. He…” Wilf paused, trying to figure out how best tell Jeanne the truth. “Well, he...er…he…um…” Wilf stumbled for a bit.   
  
Jeanne waited, though it was not patiently.   
  
“Jonathon…well, he…” Wilf couldn’t do it. He liked Jonathon too much for Jeanne to be an idiot and not marry him over a stupid thing like not actually knowing each other. “He’s not only your fiancé, he’s your guardian angel! Yeah. Jeanne, he saved your life.”   
  
Jeanne looked up at him, her eyes a bit glossy. “He did?”   
  
“Oh yeah! He jumped right onto the tracks when you fell down. He wanted you safe more than anything. Now," shifting his his seat, he said, "Jonathon is coming today, and I want you to do me a favor. I want you to look at him, really look into his eyes and listen. Listen like a woman who has just been given a second chance on life. And after two minutes, if you’re not madly in love with him….” Wilf shrugged. “Tell him you want to break up. And you can go back to being a numpty. But if you see in him what it took us seconds to see, marry him in an instant, and don’t ever let him escape.”   
  
Wilf patted her knee before he stood up to get his coat that he took off when he came into the room. “Now, before he comes, take some time and think about it. He’s a special man, Jeanne. Don’t let him walk away.”   
  
Putting on his jacket, Wilf kissed her on the cheek before walking out the door.   
  
~*~   
  
Jonathon walked to the hospital room, the box filled with Jeanne’s things in his arms. When he noticed her head leaning forward, like she was asleep, he tiptoed into the room. It would be so much easier if she was sleeping. He could sneak in and out and no one would be the —  
  
“Jonathon!”   
  
Looking over at her, he noticed that she was indeed wide awake and her eyes were solely on him.   
  
The box still in his arms, he turned to her. “Hi.”   
  
“Hi,” she said softly.   
  
Holding the box out to her, Jonathon walked over to her and placed it on the edge of the bed. “I came by to drop off your things.”   
  
She gestured to the tray of food in front of her. “Would you like a sandwich?”   
  
Shaking his head, Jonathon said, “No. No, I’m good. Thanks.”   
  
Neither of them knew what to say. It was so entirely awkward for both of them. For the umpteenth time, Jonathon wondered how exactly he got into this mess.   
  
After a moment, Jonathon asked, “Can I get you anything?”   
  
Jeanne sighed. “I wish I had my own clothes.”   
  
“Well, I have to say you are rocking the hospital gown,” he joked.   
  
Jeanne gave a smile. It was beautiful. “Thank you.”   
  
“But I like your tan suit too,” Jonathon said, the only outfit it could think of. He didn’t even know why he said it; it just popped out of his mouth.   
  
“Oh, the one with the skirt that goes a bit above the knee and the fitted jacket?” Jeanne said, her smile still in place.   
  
He guessed that was the one. “Yeah.”   
  
“Oh, that’s my favorite! I love that one too!”   
  
They smiled at each other for a moment. Jonathon didn’t know what to say, but all he knew was that he wanted to get out of this room immediately. His palms were sweaty and he his knees felt weak and this wasn’t how he felt around Rose, but at the same time it was just as bad. With Rose, it was because he didn’t want to look like a fool. With Jeanne, it was because everyone thought they had this great past, when really the only thing he knew that she wore were suits. Except for the hospital gown, he never saw her wear anything else.   
  
“Please sit down,” she insisted.   
  
Without looking at her, Jonathon took off his long brown coat and holding it in his arms, sat down in the chair next to her bed. When he looked up at her, however, he noticed that she was staring at him like she was going to be quizzed on how many freckles he had on his face.   
  
A thought popped into Jonathon’s mind. “I saw the picture of you, from when you saved the cat that time.” It was an article that had been in the photo album that Jackie showed him the day he went to their apartment for the first time. Jeanne had to be about ten when she saved a small cat that couldn’t come down from a tree.   
  
Jeanne remembered that. “Yes. Muffins. He never called me after I got him down from that tree,” she joked.   
  
Jonathon gave a chuckle.   
  
“That was so long ago,” Jeanne said with a sad smile.   
  
“We don’t get to do that many heroic things as an adult, though.”  
  
“That’s for sure,” Jeanne said softly before turning quickly to look at him. “You do though. You saved me.”   
  
“No.” Jonathon shook his head. “No, jumping in front of that train was unusual for me. Believe me.”  
  
“I don’t think I’ve done anything truly heroic my whole life.”   
  
“Now that’s not true,” he said, shifting closer to her. “Heroic doesn’t always mean risking your life or doing something brave or…or stupid. You give up your seat on the train every day.”   
  
“That’s not heroic,” Jeanne said with a laugh.   
  
“It is to the person who sits in the seat,” Jonathon said softly. Giving a smile, he continued. “You always gave me something to look forward to every day.”   
  
Jeanne was staring at him again. He shifted in his seat. “You do remind me of someone,” she said. “It’s probably you!”   
  
Jonathon ducked his head and gave a small smile.   
  
~*~   
  
Across town, in a fancy apartment complex, a man in his mid-thirties marched right into the lobby, his expensive sunglasses on his nose and his even more expensive suit telling everyone around him to piss off. This man was on a mission and nothing and no one would stop him.   
  
However, no one told the doorman that. The same doorman who greeted Rose, Jonathon, Craig, and Mickey less than a week prior, ran over to the man and said, “Excuse me! Excuse me, sir, what apartment?”   
  
The man turned around and took off his sunglasses, annoyed. He acted as though this imbecile should know exactly who he was. Looking the doorman over, the man sighed. “New, huh?”   
  
The doorman shrugged. “Yes, sir. What apartment?”   
  
“I’m going to Jeanne Tyler’s apartment,” the man responded, bored with this conversation.   
  
“And your name?”   
  
“Harry Saxon,” the man replied slowly. “I am Jeanne’s fiancé.”   
  
The doorman gave a chuckle. “You’re not his fiancé.” It was not a question, but a statement.  
  
Harry raised an eyebrow.   
  
“What?”  
  
~*~   
  
Holding a bouquet of flowers, Rose Tyler walked into her sister’s hospital room to see her sister slowly sitting down in a wheelchair with a male nurse helping her.   
  
“Hey,” Rose said happily. “Looking good!”   
  
“They’re moving me to the second floor!” Jeanne sounded proudly.   
  
“Mind if I drive?” Rose asked the nurse, who nodded his head before telling her to meet him by the elevators. Rose gave the bouquet to her sister. “These are for you.”   
  
“Oh, thanks sis,” Jeanne said, taking the flowers with a smile. She took a deep breath of them as her sister slowly started moving the chair. After a moment, Jeanne said, “Jonathon’s pretty wonderful, isn’t he?”   
  
Rose, who was moving a bit faster, slowed down in surprise. “Oh. Yeah. Yeah, he is.”   
  
“We’re engaged, you know,” Jeanne said, picking at one of the flowers.   
  
“Yeah, I heard.”   
  
“Oh, these smell divine!” Jeanne said as they pulled up in front of the elevators. “Everything smells better, looks better, feels better! These roses look so much better than I remember.”   
  
“That’s great, Jeanne,” Rose said flatly. “However, those are ranunculus.”   
  
Jeanne shrugged, clearly not bothered. “Whatever. My point is I’ve been reborn. Given a second chance. If there was a priest here now, I would confess everything to him.”   
  
“Jeanne, don’t get ahead of yourself, yeah? Besides, I’m trying to stay positive–”  
  
“I don’t even know what my secretary sent Mum and Dad for Christmas.”   
  
“A fruit basket.”   
  
“I’ve never been fateful to a man,” Jeanne said, looking directly at Rose.   
  
Her sister shifted uncomfortably. “Jeanne, please, stop talking–”  
  
“You remember that cat? The one I saved?”   
  
Rose looked down at her sister, not wanting Jeanne to give her another to hate her. “Don’t say it.”   
  
“I’m the one who chased it.”   
  
“Oh, Jeanne…” Rose said. Moving to face her, Rose asked, “Did you say any of this to Jonathon?”   
  
Jeanne shook her head. “No. That’s all in the past. Jonathon is my future. He is…he is…Well, he’s…” Jeanne paused, not sure how to continue. “What is he? He’s…”   
  
“I’d say that he gets under your skin. He can drive you so nuts that you don’t know whether to hug or…or just tackle him to the ground.” That imagine made Rose almost moan. “If he could travel in time, he just wants to see something remarkable, something that no one else has ever seen. I don’t know if that’s insanity or just something really…really fun about him.” Rose gave a soft smile, just thinking about the wonderful man who came into their lives.   
  
Jeanne considered it for a moment before saying, “No. That’s not it. But he’s gotta be really special. He just has to be. And I want to spend the rest of my life finding out why.”   
  
Rose had to walk away, because she wanted to do that as well.   
  
Jeanne, however, didn’t see her sister walk away, and kept talking. “I don’t have to know why tomorrow or in a year, or whenever. I don’t have to have all the answers today. But that doesn’t mean I can’t make a lifetime commitment. Does this make any sense?”   
  
“Not really,” the nurse from before said, holding the box containing all of her things. He came in the middle of her speech and was confused on why she was talking to herself, but since he’s seen weirder things in this hospital, he just shrugged it off. “But that’s common after a head injury.”   
  
He put the box on her lap. Jeanne looked at the pair of high heels on top. She sighed, content. “My shoes.”   
  
~*~   
  
Wilf stood pacing in front of the hospital when Jonathon came over. “What did they say?” Jonathon asked, fearing the worse.   
  
“Who?”   
  
“The Tylers! Are they inside?”  
  
“You missed them.”   
  
“Well, what was there reaction? To the truth, I mean.”   
  
Wilf shrugged. “I haven’t told them yet.”   
  
“What?  _What_? Wilf!” Jonathon shouted. “What do you mean you didn’t tell them?! What about Jeanne? Did you tell Jeanne?!”   
  
The older gentlemen shrugged and said, “I didn’t tell her either…”  
  
“ _Wilf_!” Jonathon yelled, half tempted to stomp his foot to the ground. Quieter he said, “You said you were going to handle this!”   
  
“I am handling it.”   
  
“This is handling it?! Not telling them the truth!?”   
  
“This is handling it!”   
  
“Wilf!”   
  
“What?”   
  
“You’re fired!”   
  
“Fired?!”   
  
Jonathon walked towards the door of the hospital just as an aggravated man in an expensive suit walked to it. Jonathon held the door opened for him, but the man said nothing. Not that Jonathon cared at the moment, because he threw a look at Wilf before turning and walking into the building.   
  
Still frustrated at Wilf, Jonathon didn’t notice that the man and he walked to the elevator and got on at the same time. Jonathon pushed the button for the fourth floor, and the other man pressed the button for the second.   
  
The frustrated man got off on the second floor and stomped to room 204. Without knocking, he opened the door to find Jeanne Tyler on the bed, a male nurse testing her blood pressure.   
  
“Harry!” Jeanne said, not unhappy to see him.   
  
“Scumbag!” Harry said back.   
  
The nurse looked uncomfortable. Jeanne, however, didn’t look the bit upset. Harry was part of her past, and she wasn’t going back to her past. No thanks. She was a reborn woman who was in love with Jonathon…Jonathon…Oh, whatever his last name was.   
  
“You’re engaged?” Harry asked, not only sarcastic, but also doubtful.   
  
Jeanne nodded.   
  
Harry walked closer. “May I remind you that I proposed to you?”   
  
“And I said no.”  
  
“No, no. You said you’d think about it.”  
  
“And you left in a fit and moved to New York.”   
  
“Yes, but I didn’t think that you would then be engaged to the first wanker you came across.”   
  
“Jonathon is not a wanker.”   
  
“Jonathon? Jonathon who?”   
  
Looking at him, Jeanne answered honestly. “I don’t remember.”   
  
“Liar.”   
  
“I don’t remember! I don’t remember accepting his proposal. But then again, I was in a coma. I have amnesia.”   
  
Harry gave a sarcastic chuckle. “Amnesia!? Oh, that’s perfect! Fine, then. I want my stuff back.”   
  
“Fine,” Jeanne replied, not the one bit hurt. “I want my stuff back.”   
  
“What stuff?”   
  
“Your nose.”   
  
Harry lightly touched his nose. “No. You can’t take my nose back.”   
  
“I paid for it.” Harry looked ready to spit, but Jeanne wasn’t backing down. “I’m a changed woman, Harry.”   
  
“Fine. Fine! Marry this lowlife for all I care!” Harry shouted before storming out of the room.   
  
Jeanne leaned back in the bed, a satisfied smirk on her face. She was going to marry the wonderful Jonathon…Jonathon…  
  
Oh, she should really learn his last name.   
  
~*~   
Jonathon walked to Jeanne’s hospital room, but no one was in it. In fact, the bed was all made up for whoever the next patient would be. Looking around, confused, Jonathon heard someone shout his name.   
  
He turned around. It was Joan, the nurse who thought he and Jeanne were engaged and got him into this predicament.   
  
“Jonathon!” she said, happy to see him. “They moved her!”   
  
“What?” he asked, surprised. “When? Why?”   
  
“Because she’s doing better! She’s downstairs.”   
  
Joan took him by the arm and lead him downstairs to Jeanne’s room. They almost walked right past it, but Joan saw Jeanne lying on the bed and stopped suddenly, causing Jonathon to bump into her. He walked into the room and when Jeanne saw him, she sat up and smiled. “Jonathon!”   
  
“Hello, Hi,” he said, still not comfortable around her, though he was trying to make an effort. However, he knew that she had to know the truth. That they are not engaged, and they never were. He just didn’t know where to start. “You look good.”   
  
“I feel good.”  
  
“That’s great,” Jonathon said, distracted. He ran his hand through his hair, resting it on the back of his neck, which he rubbed a bit.   
  
“I feel like a whole new woman! Facing death makes a woman evaluate her life. I’ve been thinking about my life, and I’m going to be honest with you, Jonathon, I’ve not been an angel.”  
  
“That can’t be true,” Jonathon said, wanting her to stop talking so that he could talk, but at the same time hoping that she would never stop because he doesn’t want to talk.   
  
“It is,” Jeanne said with a nod. “I’ve been a woman who would rather go to work functions than have to spend time at home. A woman who lied and sometimes cheated just to get to the top. A woman who puts herself first and others second.”  
  
Unbeknownst to both of them, Joan stood at the door, peaking her head in, wanting to listen to their conversation. She knew that they weren’t really a couple, but they looked so cute together.   
  
“I’ve seen a woman who trusts no one. No one who wants to be with her. You were there when I needed someone the most. You have been so supportive. It took me a coma to wake me up. My family loves you. I might as well love you.”   
  
Jonathon opened his mouth, trying to figure out what to say, but nothing popped into his mind.   
  
“I know the man usually asks, but I feel it would be correct if I do this.” She paused and cleared her throat before asking, “Jonathon, will you marry me?”


	8. Chapter 8

A resistant from the building Jonathon lived in happened to be exiting when Rose, holding a package in her hand, came up the stairs. The man held the door opened for her, and she was able to walk right in, and started up to the third floor. When she reached the second landing, the door opened and Jonathon’s neighbor, Minnie, popped her head out.   
  
“Oh, Rose, isn’t it?” Minnie said, coming further out.   
  
“Er, yeah.” She stopped walking.   
  
“Minnie,” she said, gesturing to herself. “We met once.”   
  
“Yeah, I remember.”   
  
“Going to see Jonathon?”   
  
Rose nodded.   
  
“He’s a special man,” Minnie said, leaning against the door. “If he was only fifty years younger…”   
  
Rose gave an uncomfortable nod before heading up the stairs. “I’m just gonna…It was nice seeing you again!”   
  
“You too, honey!” Minnie called up.   
  
Jonathon, meanwhile, groaned when he looked into the mirror. He had borrowed a tux from a nearby tailor shop and he could not for the life of him get the bowtie right. It hung loosely from his neck, almost mocking him.   
  
He groaned as he leaned with his hands on the dresser in front of him. “This is so stupid,” he muttered. “You should have said no.”  
  
Just thinking about that moment made Jonathon want to vomit. Jeanne had actually proposed, a true proposal, and the idiot that he was actually said yes! Because her whole family thought it was true, and now it was true, so he wasn’t technically lying anymore, but his stomach still ached when he thought about it. They were now properly engaged and all Jonathon could think of was how stupid he was.   
  
When someone knocked on his door, he groaned with frustration and almost shouted at them to go away because he was a stupid, idiotic git who should spend the rest of his life alone.   
  
And he felt that way even more when he opened the door and saw Rose smiling back at him.   
  
Now his heart pounded in a completely new way and he swore that time stopped, and God, she was beautiful. She was so beautiful and he was an idiot and this was going to end absolutely horribly, he just knew it.   
  
“Rose,” he said, almost gasping her name.   
  
Her eyes traveled down his body, and he became self-conscious. “You look…” she paused and his cheeks burned. “Good.” She cleared her throat. “You look good.”   
  
“Um, thanks. You want to come in?”   
  
She nodded and he let her pass. “You know, this is the first time I’ve ever been inside your apartment.”   
  
“No, you were here before.”   
  
“I came to drop off the sofa, but you didn’t actually let me in, remember?”   
  
Thinking back to that, Jonathon realized she was right. “Oh, yeah. Gosh, that was only a week ago?”   
  
She nodded and bit her lip. “Yeah. So much as happened. Anyway,” she said, clearing her throat and talking louder. “I wanted to give you this.” She held out a flat rectangle, wrapped in dark blue tissue paper. “You know, before all the wedding presents started piling in.”   
  
He took it and quickly opened it up to see a beautiful painting of the night sky. It was probably done by a local artist, but he looked up at her in shocked because she remembered. She remembered their conversation from so long ago, but really it wasn’t that long ago. The conversation, sitting on top of her roof, looking at the stars.   
  
 _“If you could go anywhere, all of time and space is at your disposal, where would you go?”  
  
“I don’t know. I would want to go everywhere. I mean, look at it. It’s so massive and huge, to pick one would be like having to choose one thing to eat for the rest of your life. There is so much out there, so much to see and discover for yourself, and I would just want to try everything. So I don’t know where I would go. But it would have to be somewhere amazing.”_  
  
“It’s not time and space,” Rose said, thinking he hated it because he hasn’t said a word. “But you talked about how massive it was, and that night meant a lot to me and I hope you like it,” she babbled.   
  
“I love it,” he said, holding it out to see it clearly. It wasn’t a Van Gogh, but it was still beautiful, with the dark and light blues mixed together and the tiny dots representing the stars. “Thank you.”   
  
He moved the painting so he could look down at her, not realizing how close they had gotten. She was standing not five inches away and he wanted so badly to reach out and caress her cheek. He held onto the painting with both hands.   
  
Rose took a couple of steps back as she said, “I also wanted to tell you that…well, I think my sister is a very lucky woman.”   
  
Jonathon ducked his head, putting the painting carefully on the coffee table. “Thank you.”   
  
“I had to say that, because you’re going to my brother-in-law,” Rose said, trying to smile but just missing the mark.   
  
Jonathon nodded, tugging at his ear. “Yeah.” God, did that thought depress him. “Yeah, we’re going to see a lot of each other, then.”   
  
Rose nodded, like she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. They looked at each other for a moment, not quite sure what to say. Finally, Rose said, “I better be going.”   
  
Before Jonathon could say anything, Rose opened the door and almost ran out. After waiting for one second, he ran after her. “Rose!”   
  
Walking outside his doorway, he saw Rose on the steps, just heading down. She turned around, however, when she heard him shout for her. “Yeah?” she asked, almost breathless.   
  
“Can I ask you a question?”   
  
She smiled. “Are we playing Truth?”   
  
He nodded. “Rose, can you give me…can you give me one good reason why I shouldn’t marry your sister?”   
  
Startled, Rose gave a slight chuckle. She looked down and bit her lip, contemplating. After a few minutes–the longest few minutes of Jonathon’s life–Rose looked up and said, “No. I can’t.”   
  
Without another word, she turned around and flew down the rest of the stairs, leaving Jonathon standing there, unsure of so many things.   
  
When Rose reached outside, however, she leaned against the outside door and took a deep breath. It was the first time she ever lied when they played Truth, and it was first time she so very wanted to be honest with him. “I can give you a thousand reasons,” she muttered before knocking her head lightly on the door and walking down the stairs.   
  
~*~   
  
Jonathon opened the door to his small little cubicle, Martha already sitting there, her textbook open and a cup of tea in her hand. He laid down an envelope in front of her before moving to his side and taking off his coat and impossibly long scarf he had received as a gift many years ago.   
  
“What’s this?” Martha asked, putting down her tea and taking the envelope.   
  
“A wedding invitation,” Jonathon said, opening his window and not really paying attention to what Martha was saying.   
  
“For who?”   
  
“Me.”  
  
Martha swiftly turned around in her seat. “ _What_?”   
  
Jonathon looked back at her. “What?” he asked, confused by her response.   
  
“ _Your_  wedding invitation?” She raised her eyebrows.   
  
“Yeah,” he said, giving a shrug. “So?”   
  
Martha gave him a look. “ _Whom_  are we marrying?”   
  
Jonathon turned around, his back to her. “Jeanne Tyler.”   
  
“The coma girl?” Martha asked, not believing him. “But…I thought you liked her sister. The one who came to my party.”   
  
“I do. I mean, I did, but now I’m engaged to Jeanne. For real this time. She asked and I said yes.”   
  
“She asked? Wow, you two certainly are modern aren’t you? I mean, first you fall in love with her sister than the coma girl asks you to marry her…”  
  
“Enough,” he pleaded.   
  
“Are you insane?”   
  
“Yes, Martha, yes I am.” He turned around to face her. “Because I work every day in a tiny cubicle for the train and every night I go home to a lonely house–with the exception of my dog–and now a beautiful and wonderful woman has asked me to marry her and I said yes. So, to answer your question, Ms. Jones, yes, I am insane!”   
  
Martha opened the envelope and looked at the piece of paper. “The wedding is tomorrow?!”   
  
“Yes, Martha, the wedding is tomorrow, but you know what? I wish it was yesterday! You know why?” Jonathon's voice kept getting louder and louder the more he spoke. “Because that would mean today I would be on my honeymoon and I would have a stamp on my passport and it would say something on it!” Finally, he stopped and breathed deeply.   
  
Martha looked at him for a moment, not saying anything. Finally, she whispered, “What happened to Rose?”   
  
He looked defeated. He whispered, “She didn’t want me.”   
  
Turning around in his seat, Jonathon ended the conversation.   
  
~*~   
  
The next morning arrived much too quickly for Jonathon, even though he barely got any sleep. His bed looked like a bomb blew up, but he just kept tossing and turning all night, not able to think clearly. Marrying Jeanne would be wonderful, he had to promise himself. She was exactly the woman his father always described. Beautiful. Wonderful. Intelligent. Adventurous.   
  
But it was all a lie. He didn’t know if she was adventurous. Maybe she was, but he wasn’t certain. And he should be certain before he marries her. Because his father was right; he should wait for a girl that would give him the world. And he thought he found her. The problem was that she didn't want him.   
  
When eight o’clock rolled around, Jonathon had already taken a long shower and donned his tux, still trying to the tie the bowtie correctly. He gave up before finally grabbing his long brown coat and hoping he’ll make the train in time.   
  
~*~   
  
“Where is he?”   
  
Jeanne repeatedly asked that question, but no one gave her an answer. It seems that the groom was MIA, and no one had any idea where he could possibly be.   
  
“Maybe he’s stuck in traffic,” Amy said, fixing her lipstick. She was wearing a dark green dress that stopped right in the middle of her thighs. She knew she looked good, mostly because Rory had yet to stop staring at her when they were in the same room.   
  
“Rose, this isn’t going to work,” Jeanne insisted while Rose fixed the back of the dress. “I look horrible.”   
  
“You look beautiful,” Rose said, offhandedly.   
  
“But what if Jonathon doesn’t like it?”   
  
“He’ll love it, Jee. I just know.”   
  
Jeanne looked at herself in the mirror, not sure. “I think the veil is a bit much.” Jeanne stood in front of the mirror wearing a simple yet elegant white dress. It was off the shoulder’s and was form fitting, and of course she looked drop dead gorgeous in it. The veil went down to her shoulders, and just made her look even more breathing taking. The only downside was that she had to have her IV stand next to her, which somewhat ruined the effect, but not by much.   
  
Rose glared at her when she was certain her sister wasn’t looking. Since the wedding was a bit rushed, Rose didn’t really have time to look for a proper dress, but she did manage to find a dark blue dress tucked in the back of her closet. She made sure, however, to fix her hair and make-up. She knew it was a lost cause, but if she was going down she wanted to look good doing it.   
  
“Do you have the ring?” Jeanne asked, pinching her cheeks to help get some color in them.   
  
Rose held out her hand that held the ring from Jonathon. She was half tempted to throw it at Jeanne, but suppressed. Barely. “Yeah, I have the ring.”   
  
Jeanne looked over at Rose, narrowing her eyebrows. “What’s the matter with you?”   
  
“You suck,” Rose muttered, but Jeanne still heard her.   
  
“You mean the dress or me?” she asked.   
  
Rose’s eyes drifted north. “It’s a tossup, really.”   
  
Jeanne’s eyes narrowed even further, a sure sign that she was going to start an argument. Luckily, Donna came in, holding a bouquet of flowers. “Jonathon’s here.”   
  
Jeanne looked at the clock. “He’s late.”   
  
“Well, maybe he got stuck in traffic. Come on!” Donna insisted, gesturing for Rose and Jeanne to walk out the door.   
  
They took their places at the back of the tiny chapel the hospital offered. Because it was so rushed, there were barely any flowers, let alone any decorations, though there were a few.   
  
Pete met them at the back and kissed both girls on the cheek. Rose went in first. She tried to notice all the people in the room, Amy, Rory, Wilf, her mother, Donna, and a few other friends of Jeanne’s were all sitting on her side of the church. The other side was basically empty except for two people: Jonathon’s friend, Martha, and the one nurse from the hospital, Joan. Though Rose had heard that she was there to monitor Jeanne throughout the service.   
  
Rose, however, barely saw any of them. Because up in the front was Jonathon who looked so good in his tux that Rose had to hold herself back from launching at him. He gave her a small smile and it broke her heart even more to think that he was so close, yet so far away. She had to look away and took her place next to where Jeanne would be in a moment.   
  
The music swelled and the doors opened to reveal Jeanne and her father, both smiling pleasantly. Jonathon tried to smile, really he did, but his stomach was in such knots he was sure that if he moved his mouth in any way he would throw up.   
  
Pictures flashed in his mind, years into the future. Him being with Jeanne, fake smile on his face as he watched Rose in somebody else’s arms. The sinking of his heart as he saw Rose marry someone else, someone who was not a coward and actually told her how he felt. He saw himself and Jeanne never really connecting, but feeling as though they had to all because she was told that they were the perfect match.   
  
All because of a tiny detail, all because of a small misunderstanding, he was now marrying a girl he barely knew while the girl he was completely head-over-heels in love with stood just feet away.   
  
His heart was in his throat and his hands were shaking and he never has wanted to run as far and as quickly as he did right now.   
  
But if he told the truth, he could lose everyone, including Rose. She would have every reason to be furious with him. But when he asked her if she could think of a reason why he shouldn’t marry Jeanne, she said no. So maybe she didn’t feel the same way about him as he did for her.   
  
However, this wasn’t fair to Jeanne either. He was taking her away from someone who could love her in a way she deserved to be loved. Yeah, Jonathon thought he was in love with her just weeks prior to this, but everything has changed now. Now he knows what it’s like to be properly in love and everyone should have the chance to feel it.   
  
Even if, in the end, that means giving up everything.   
  
Finally, Jeanne stood next to him and she smiled at him and he smiled back and all he could think was,  _‘This is wrong. This is so wrong. I can’t do this. I can’t. I’m a fool. A 100 percent fool.’_  
  
The judge stood before Jonathon and Jeanne, saying, “We are gathered here today to join–”  
  
“I’m sorry,” Jonathon interrupted. He couldn’t do this. He had come so far, but he couldn’t. It was wrong. To continue on for the rest of his life with this lie over his head was a horrible fate. Looking directly at Jeanne, he repeated, “I’m so sorry. But I object.”   
  
The judge stopped talking. Rose’s eyes went straight to Jonathon, making sure that she heard what she thought she heard. Wilf shook his head sadly, knowing what was coming. Everyone else, however, was highly confused.   
  
“I didn’t get to that part yet,” the judge said.   
  
“Well,” Rose said, stepping forward a bit. “I object too.”   
  
Jonathon looked over at Rose, who gave a tiny shrug and a small smile. He started to smile back when the judge turned to Jeanne. “What about you?”   
  
She looked beyond confused. Like she was wondering how exactly she could be jilted at the altar. “I’m thinking.”   
  
“What in hell is going on!?” Jackie yelled.   
  
Jonathon looked at Jeanne and Rose before turning to the rest of the crowd. It wasn’t many people, just the usual gang and Martha, who was the only one looking pleased. But then Jonathon noticed Donna and Jack, who looked like they just high-fived each other under the seats.   
  
But now he had to tell them. He left himself no choice. He wasn’t going to lie anymore. So, he cleared his throat and announced, “Well, it’s a bit of a long story. But let me start with this fact.” Jonathon paused. There was no going back now. “I’m in love with your daughter.”   
  
Pete gave a chuckle. “We know!” He gestured to Jeanne.   
  
Jonathon shook his head. “No. Not her,” he said, pointing lightly to Jeanne. He leaned forward and pointed around Jeanne, at Rose. “Her.”   
  
All eyes went to Rose. “Rose,” Jackie said sternly, standing up. “What did you do!?”   
  
However, Rose was looking at Jonathon, giving such a big smile that she didn’t hear her mother, nor did she care.   
  
But Jonathon was quick to jump in and defend her. “No, no it wasn’t her fault. It was mine. All mine.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “Do you remember that day, at the hospital? The day we all met?” Rolling his eyes, he muttered to himself, “Of course you remember that day.” Louder, he said, “Well, there was a little mix-up. I saw Jeanne fall onto the tracks, and I saved her life, that was all true. But when I went to the hospital to check on her, the doctors told me I couldn’t see her because I wasn’t related. So, um.” His eyes went to Joan, who was sitting in the first row. “Someone told the doctors that I was her fiancé so that I could see her. The only problem was…that…well, it wasn’t true. I was never engaged to Jeanne. I never even spoke to her before.”   
  
Shameful, he looked down, not wanting to see their anger and hatred. But he had to know how Rose was reacting to all of this. Sneaking a glance over at her, he saw that she was biting her lip and looked stunned, but at the same time confused. “Why didn’t you say something?” she wondered.   
  
“Because I didn’t know how,” Jonathon admitted. Looking up, he continued. “We never even met until that day on the train. It’s just…suddenly we were at the hospital, and everything was happening so fast…And I just…I couldn’t tell you the truth. I didn’t want to tell you the truth. Because the truth is…I fell in love with you.”   
  
He was glancing all over the room and happened to look at Donna, who sat back, stunned. “You fell in love with  _me_?”   
  
“No!” Jonathon said fast with a laugh. “I mean, yes. I mean  _all_  of you. I fell in love with all of you. I was all alone for so long and suddenly I had a family again. I became a son, a grandson, a cousin again. And I loved it.”   
  
He turned to Jeanne and told her, “I know I saved your life that day on the tracks, but really, you saved mine. You allowed me to be part of your family, and I haven’t been a part of one for a really long time. And I just didn’t want to let go of that. And I know it was just a little while, but I will carry them,” he turned to the family, “all of you in my heart.” He gave a sniff before saying, “I’m so sorry.”   
  
He took a step towards the door when he stopped and reached into his pocket. Pulling out a small object, he went over to Rose and took her hand, placing something in it. “I’m really, truly sorry,” he said, looking directly into her eyes.   
  
Jonathon then turned and walked back down the aisle as a young man came running in. “Jeanne Tyler is engaged to me!” the man shouted. He was a man in his thirties with dark blonde hair and brown eyes. He was currently wearing a suit that looked expensive. “And I object to this wedding!”   
  
“Get in line,” Donna muttered.  
  
Rose, not paying attention to the man, opened her hand and looked at the object. A key. It was the key Rose gave Jonathon.   
  
 _“The key to our apartment. That way you can come over anytime you want.”_  
  
She stared at the object, lost in her thoughts until she heard her mother yell, “Jeanne Tyler! Who is this man?!”   
  
“That’s Harry Saxon,” Jeanne said in a bit of a daze. She couldn’t seem to understand what exactly was going on. “He proposed to me before…” She gestured with her one hand. “All of this happened.”   
  
“You were already engaged?” Donna asked.   
  
“I said no.”   
  
Harry pointed at her. “No, you said you’d think about it.”   
“Can we not talk about this now?” Jeanne asked, her temper rising. “I was in a coma when my sister made a pass at my sort-of fiancé!”   
  
Everyone in the room began talking at once. Jackie was furious at Jeanne for never telling them that she was in a serious relationship. Jeanne herself tried to be the victim, claiming that Rose was to blame because she made Jonathon fall in love with her instead. Donna yelled at Jeanne to get off her high horse and leave Rose out of this situation completely. Everyone else was throwing out their thoughts, making the room get louder and louder  
  
Rose, however, heard none of it and instead looked at the doorway to see Jonathon putting on his coat. She wanted to talk to him, wanted very much to run after him and speak with him. Her mind was trying to process all that just happened. Jonathon was never actually engaged to Jeanne. In fact, he was in love with Rose. He loved her! He just admitted it to everyone. But for reasons she couldn’t understand, her feet refused to move. Her eyes stayed focus on him, though he barely looked back as he put on his coat.   
  
But when he did look up, his eyes went straight to her. They stared at each other for a moment before Jonathon’s eyes went towards Wilf who just sat in his seat, watching everyone. He shook his head, but Jonathon still gave him a small wave as he left the room, leaving them still in shambles.

 


	9. Chapter 9

That night, Jonathon was in his apartment alone. He was taking down the ornaments on his Christmas tree and was putting them into the cardboard box he used. K-9 laid on the couch, looking as miserable as Jonathon felt.   
  
He hadn’t heard a word from any of them, not that he expected to. They probably all hated him right now. And they had every reason to. He had lied to them over and over again. Especially Rose. If he had not been a coward and told everyone the truth from the beginning, none of this would have happened.   
  
When someone knocked on his door, he quickly went over to it and opened it, revealing Minnie. “Hello honey,” she said. “Can I come in?”   
  
“Of course,” he said, stepping back and letting her pass. “How are you?”   
  
“Oh, never mind me. How are you? I had heard through the grapevine that the wedding was a dud.”   
  
“How did you hear that?” Jonathon asked, closing the door.   
  
“Oh, my friend from bridge is good friends with someone on the cricket team who knows Wilfred Mott from the astronomy club that a few guys I know have every couple of weeks.”   
  
“Right,” Jonathon said, somehow catching what she said. “Anyway, yeah. I uh, I told everyone the truth.”   
  
“That took guts. What made you say it?”   
  
He shrugged. “I just kept imaging myself years from now and I just couldn’t see Jeanne standing next to me.”   
  
“I bet you saw someone else, right?” Minnie asked, giving a knowing smile.   
  
Jonathon shook his head before going back over to his tree and taking down the rest of the decorations.   
  
Minnie gave a sigh. “I always hate when Christmas ends,” she said, changing the topic completely. “It’s like all the magic and hope has left. Christmas time just always feels magical, right? Like anything can happen.”   
  
“I know what you mean,” he muttered.   
  
She looked around before asking him if he’ll be alright. “Yeah,” he said, not looking at her. “I’m always alright.”   
  
“I don’t believe you, but I think you’ll be fine. In the end. Anyway, if you need to talk, you know where I am.” He gave a nod. “I have to go anyway. One of the guys from the cricket team asked me out for dancing. How could I refuse?” She gave him a kiss on the cheek and a pat on his behind. “Hang in there,” she said, wiping her lipstick off his cheek.   
  
She opened the door and walked out. Jonathon watched her as she left, a small smile on his face.  
  
~*~   
  
Over the next couple of days, Martha said nothing about the wedding. She had mentioned things here and there, talked to him about her relationship instead with a man named Mickey Smith. He realized quickly that it was the same Mickey Smith who helped move the couch into Jeanne’s living room so very long ago. When he mentioned that, Martha stopped talking about him. She didn’t realize that Mickey was good friends with Rose, or at least didn’t realize that it was  _that_ Rose. Though Jonathon claimed it didn’t matter, Martha stopped talking about him.   
  
And though she didn’t talk to him an awful lot over the last couple of days, that didn’t stop her from asking about the rumor she had heard. “Are you leaving?” she asked.  
  
He knew that she wasn’t referring to him having to go get lunch or something. “Yeah. Yeah, today is my last day.”   
  
Martha stood up and went over to give him a hug. “I’m sorry. I’m going to miss you.”   
  
“I’ll miss you too. You’ll have to invite me to your graduation, though.” He gave her a smile. “I feel like I could become a doctor too, since I’ve quizzed you so many times.”   
  
She gave a smile in return. “You better not become a stranger. I want phone calls, mister.”   
  
He gave her a mock salute. She grinned as she walked towards the door and said her final good-bye.   
  
Jonathon turned back to his dirty window. It was still as boring as can be. And though he knew it was a rash decision, leaving, it was one he had to make. How could he sit here day after day when Jeanne could come by any minute? No, he had to find another job, one that didn’t remind him of all that transpired here. So for the last time, he just took tokens as they came in, trying not to think about all the ways he has screwed up his life. He was failing miserably.   
  
Instead, he started silently counting the tokens as they came in, hoping that would take his mind off of things. He got to sixty-three when something unexpected happened. Instead of a token coming into the little gap, a key landed there.   
  
Looking up, Jonathon shouldn’t been surprised–though he was–to see not only Rose standing there, but also Wilf, Donna, Jackie, Pete, Amy, Jack, and Rory. They were all standing in front of the window, trying to peak in.   
  
“Wha--?”   
  
“Jonathon,” Rose said, a smiling breaking across her face. “I think we need to talk.”   
  
He looked down at the key that was now in his hand. “What?”   
  
“I told you that you could come over anytime, yeah?” Rose said, her smile blooming across her face. “I meant that. I gave you that key when I thought you were going to be my brother-in-law. Now I’m giving it to you as my friend.”   
  
“Friend. Yeah. Right.” Donna muttered sarcastically.   
  
Rose glanced at her through the corner of her eyes. She looked back at the man in front of her. “Can I come in?”   
  
“Um, yeah. Yeah, but only you, though. The rest won’t fit.”   
  
Rose nudged her way past her family members and went to the door that Jonathon opened by pressing the buzzer underneath the desk. He stood up and took a step towards her.   
  
“Rose, I’m so sorry. I should have told you the truth. I should have told everyone the truth. And I’m sorry that I hurt you and I’m sorry that you had to think that I don’t care about you as much as I do, because I do,” he babbled. He couldn’t seem to stop. “I do care about you, very, very much. And I hope one day you’ll forgive me, though I’m starting to think that day is today.”   
  
“I have a new rule,” Rose said, grinning with her tongue between her teeth.   
  
“What?”   
  
“I have a new rule. For Truth. Because of the last question you asked me, do you remember?”   
  
He shook his head.  
  
“You asked me if I could think of any reason why you shouldn’t marry my sister. I told you that I couldn’t. I lied. I lost the game.”   
  
He started to smile. “Oh?”   
  
“Yeah,” she moved closer to him. “I told you I couldn’t think of one reason. Truth is, I could think of many. Starting with the fact that I am very much in love with you.”   
  
The smile that threatened to break over his face could not be contained any longer. He gave a (very manly) giggle of delight. “Oh?”   
  
“Yeah. Another reason is because I want to do this for the rest of my life.” Without saying anything else, Rose grabbed him by his lapels and pulled him closer to her, kissing him for all her worth.   
  
For the first time he could remember, Jonathon felt like he could do anything. He felt powerful and wonderful and fantastic as her lips moved against his. He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her body while her hands went up his chest, wrapping around his neck. One hand then went into his hair and he shivered from delight.   
  
She felt so good in his arms, so right, and he knew exactly what his father was talking about all those years ago.  _“Be with someone who could give you the world.”_  Perhaps Rose could not give him the world, but she would show him the best parts of it. The parts that he never would have imagined could exist. She was exactly what his father meant and he was so happy that he found her. Because nothing in this world was as good and right as Rose Tyler in his arms.   
  
When they pulled back, both were breathing hard, but neither seemed to care. “That,” Jonathon gasped, trying to catch his breath. “Was the best damn answer you have ever given.”   
  
She gave a giggle and started to reply when someone knocked on the window. Both looked over to see her family still standing there, all of them smiling.   
  
Looking back down at the woman in front of him, Jonathon said, “So it's my turn now, right?”   
  
Rose smiled and played with his lapels as she said, “Yep. Now, what’s your question?”   
  
“How long are you going to stay with me?”   
  
She looked up and without hesitating, answered as truthfully as she could.   
  
“Forever.”   
  
~*~   
  
 **EPILOGUE**

  
Jeanne Tyler never married Harry Saxon. She dumped him after her almost wedding to Jonathon and instead went back to her ex-boyfriend, Louis Bourbon who was still a bit of a snob, but as Rose pointed out, so was she so they were perfect for each other.   
  
Rose and Jeanne got along better, now that both had the man they had always wanted. Rose was finally able to move past the prom fiasco, and Jonathon made sure to always remind her how wonderful and brilliant she was. Her only regret was that she didn’t meet Jonathon sooner and have him save her from all of her heartache.   
  
About six months after Rose and--as Jonathon so lovingly puts it--the mob showed up at the train station, Jonathon married Rose in a small affair that included Martha (who was very happy with Mickey), Donna, and Jack. Jackie was furious when she found out that Jonathon and Rose eloped, but she was happier when they told her she could plan their reception instead. Not that either of them cared, but if it made her happy, they could deal with it.   
  
Jonathon took Rose all over for their honeymoon. They didn’t have much money, but neither seemed to care all that much. They traveled to Paris and then went to Italy, backpacking the whole way. Jeanne turned her nose up when she heard, but both of them were thrilled with the trip. They saw things that no one would ever believe and their favorite part was sleeping under the stars.   
  
Months after everything happened, Jeanne asked Jonathon when exactly it was that he had fallen in love with Rose. He couldn’t give her a straight answer, though. He couldn’t pinpoint it exactly; it seemed like it happened slowly, then suddenly he was in love. However, he finally answered her by saying, “It was while you were sleeping.”

 


End file.
